»*  O/v*  d  JLT^O  A  \ 
[(^^tt^S^S\wA 


SAMUEL  RUFUS  HARSHMAN. 


MEMOIRS 


OF 


SAMUEL  RUFUS  HARSHMAN 


Comprising  His  Autobiography,  Recol- 
lections of  Men  and  Events,  Camp-Meet- 
ings, and  Other  Meetings  held  in  Ohio, 
Indiana,  and  Illinois;  also  Something  of 
His  Later  Life,  Obituary,  Letters  and 
Sermons, 


PUBLISHED  BY 
HIS   FRIENDS 


MDCCCCXIV 


INTRODUCTION. 

With  the  publication  of  these  Memoirs,  we  think 
our  Father  would  have  liked  us  to  explain  that  he  felt 
no  small  degree  of  hesitation  and  reluctance  about 
preparing  them.  It  was  only  after  repeated  requests 
and  repeated  urging  on  the  part  of  his  children  that 
he  so  far  overcame  his  modesty  as  to  consent  to  set 
down  the  story  of  his  life.  He  has  done  so  primarily 
for  their  pleasure,  and  that  they  may  have  an  au- 
thentic record  of  his  life  and  ancestry.  After  he  had 
commenced  the  work,  he  found  great  pleasure  in 
transcribing  his  experiences  and  recollections,  and 
this  coupled  with  his  delight  in  the  pleasure  his 
children  found  in  reading  them,  made  of  the  task 
an  enjoyment  and  a  recreation.  In  fact,  he  became 
so  interested  in  the  work  as  many  times  to  over- 
tax his  strength,  and  suffered  much  consequent 
discomfort. 

No,  his  life's  story  was  not  written  because  he  felt 
that  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  he  had  done  anything 
that  was  of  any  importance.  From  their  point  of 
view  he  was,  as  he  said  in  his  last  sickness,  "  just  a 
poor  fool  who  spent  his  life  trying  to  do  men  good." 
And  this,  is,  no  doubt,  the  gentlest  pronouncement 
that  carnal  men  would  make  on  his  life.  He  was  so 
eminently  foolish  as  to  follow  God's  admonition, 
"  Whosoever  of  you  will  be  chiefest  shall  be  the 
servant  of  all."  This  we  believe  epitomizes  his  life; 
he  was  indeed  "  the  servant  of  all." 

We  feel  that  such  a  life  cannot  help  but  be  an  in- 
spiration and  encouragement  to  those  who  would  follow 
in  the  foot-steps  of  the  lowly  Nazarene ;  and  it  is 
with  this  hope  that  his  life  is  given  to  his  friends. 

His  CHILDREN. 
Sullivan,  Illinois, 
April  4th.,  1014. 


CONTENTS. 

Chapter.  Page. 

1.  My  Ancestry  1 

2.  My  Birth  and  Early  Childhood 6 

3.  My  First  Experience  as  a  School-Teacher  21 

4.  A  New  Religious  Experience  28 

5.  I  Continue  Teaching 32 

6.  I  Emigrate    43 

7.  I  Became  a  Methodist  Preacher  52 

8.  A  New  Experience  and  My  Marriage....  78 

9.  I  Leave  the  Methodist  Sect 96 

10.  Camp-Meetings    114 

11.  Camp-Meetings  and  a  Bereavement 124 

12.  In  Memoriam 131 

13.  Continued  Labors 137 

14.  My  Visit  to  Indiana 153 

15.  More  Camp-Meetings  and  Other  Meetings  161 

16.  Camp-Meetings  and  Other  Meetings  (Con- 

tinued)       176 

17.  I  Become  a  Farmer 187 

18.  I  Acquire  a  Business  and  a  New  House. .  200 
Addenda — Later  Life,  Letters  and  Obituary. . .  209 

Sermon — God's  Means  of  Salvation 233 

Sermon — The  Conversion  of  St.  Paul 246 

Sermon — The   Doctrine   of   the   Imputation  of 

Sin  and  Righteousness   259 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
MY  ANCESTRY. 

THE  family  to  which  I  belong,  and  from  which  I 
derive  my  origin,  so  far  as  I  know  has  never  been 
distinguished  in  war  or  peace.  The  name  does  not 
appear  upon  the  roll  of  fame  either  as  of  warrior 
or  statesman,  as  prominent  in  the  learned  professions, 
as  preacher  or  professor,  as  financier  or  engineer,  as 
inventor  or  discoverer.  In  this  respect,  I  have  no 
reason  to  boast  of  my  ancestry.  If  I  were  a  multi- 
millionaire, I  should  waste  no  money  in  trying  to  trace 
my  descent  from  some  robber  baron  of  the  middle 
ages,  believing  as  I  do,  that  I  should  find  my  remote 
ancestors  much  closer  to  the  soil  if  not  actually  at- 
tached to  some  of  it.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  never 
heard  of  one  of  the  name  having  been  hanged  or  sent 
to  states  prison,  though  as  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  re- 
marked of  his  family,  some  of  them  may  have  deserved 
it.  The  men  of  my  patronymic  have  been,  in  general, 
honest,  industrious  law-abiding  members  of  the  com- 
munity, thrifty  and  moderately  well-to-do.  Some  of 
them  have  been  quite  wealthy,  but  those  were  gen- 
erally distant  relatives  of  mine.  The  old  stock  were 
not  usually  religiously  inclined,  but  in  this  respect  the 
younger  generations  have  greatly  changed.  The 


2  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

Harshmans  of  the  present  time  are  generally  religious. 
The  poet  Gray's  lines,  describing  the  occupants  of  a 
rural  church-yard,  will  fitly  apply  to  my  ancestors. 

"  Far  from  the  madding  crowd's  ignoble  strife 

Their  sober  wishes  never  learned  to  stray; 
Along  the  cool  sequestered  vale  of  life 
They  took  the  even  tenor  of  their  way." 

My  great-great-grandfather,  as  nearly  as  I  can 
learn,  emigrated  from  Germany  to  the  United  States, 
or  rather  to  the  colony  of  Virginia,  about  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  I  think  he  must  have  lived 
in  the  region  of  the  Shenandoah  valley.  As  was  usual 
with  Germans,  he  had  a  numerous  family,  and  some 
of  his  sons  migrated  westward.  An  event  occurred 
in  his  family  which  has  been  handed  down  by  tradition 
through  all  the  branches  of  his  descendants,  and 
which  enables  them  to  establish  their  relationship. 
One  of  his  sons  was  bitten  by  a  mad  dog  and  de- 
veloped a  case  of  hydrophobia.  In  attempts  to  control 
him  in  his  paroxysms,  he  was  smothered  to  death 
under  a  feather  bed.  I  have  never  learned  what  was 
the  name  of  this  emigrant.  My  great-grandfather 
was  one  of  his  sons,  and  I  judge,  though  I  do  not 
know,  that  he  was  a  younger  son.  As  a  young  man 
he  removed  to  Maryland  and  settled  near  Hagerstown, 
where  he  married  a  German  girl,  also  an  emigrant, 
by  the  name  of  Madaline  Schmitt  or  Smith.  She 
was  a  "  Redemptioner,"  that  is,  one  who,  unable  to 
pay  her  passage  across  the  ocean,  was  sold  on  her 
arrival  in  this  country  to  pay  her  fare.  She  fell  into 
the  hands  of  a  cruel  master  and  suffered  great  hard- 
ship before  her  time  was  worked  out.  She  lived  to 


HARStf  MAN'S  MEMOIRS.  3 

quite  an  advanced  age,  nearly  one  hundred  years.  I 
saw  her  frequently  during  my  childhood  and  early 
youth,  though  I  do  not  remember  that  she  ever 
noticed  me.  She  was  then  in  her  dotage,  living  in 
the  family  of  her  youngest  son.  Her  husband  had 
died  several  years  before.  My  great-grandfather's 
name  was  Matthias.  By  some  means  he  lost  the  most 
of  his  property  in  Maryland,  and  removed  farther 
west  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  and 
lived  for  a  number  of  years  in  Washington  county, 
Pennsylvania,  a  short  distance  from  Pittsburgh.  Here 
his  family  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood.  Then 
in  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  he  changed 
his  location  again,  removing  to  Trumbull  county,  Ohio, 
and  settling  first  in  Austintown  township  and  after- 
wards in  Lordstown  township,  where  he  and  his 
youngest  son  bought  a  farm.  Here  he  resided  until 
his  death.  I  have  no  information  as  to  the  exact  date 
of  his  death,  but  it  was  somewhere  in  tfie  thirties.  He 
had  a  family  of  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of 
whom  lived  to  old  age,  none  of  them  dying  under 
seventy,  I  think,  and  several  of  them  living  to  above 
eighty  years.  My  grandfather,  Jacob  Harshman, 
was  one  of  the  younger  children.  I  do  not  know 
whether  he  was  born  before  the  family  left  Maryland 
or  not.  However,  he  grew  up  and  married  in  Wash- 
ington county,  Pennsylvania.  Opportunities  for  get- 
ting an  education  were  few  at  that  time,  and  it  is 
probable  that  the  advantages  of  an  education  were 
not  appreciated  as  they  should  have  been,  or  more 
earnest  efforts  would  have  been  put  forth  in  that  di- 
rection. My  grandfather  had  no  education,  though 
I  think  his  brothers  had.  Some  of  them  I  know  were 


4  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

ordinary  scholars  for  those  times.  My  grandfather's 
wife,  my  paternal  grandmother,  was  Elizabeth  Mon- 
inger.  She  was  of  pure  German  extraction,  as  was 
my  grandfather.  All  her  life  she  spoke  German  flu- 
ently, that  is,  the  dialect  called  "  Pennsylvania  Dutch," 
in  fact,  she  never  lost  the  habit  of  substituting  w  for  v 
in  such  words  as  "  vinegar."  She  had  a  good  common 
education  and  could  read,  as  well  as  speak  both  Eng- 
lish and  German.  My  grandfather's  children  all  re- 
ceived a  fair  education  and  three  of  them  were  school 
teachers.  They  had  the  same  number  of  children  as 
my  great-grandparents,  viz.,  nine,  but  there  was  one 
more  son  and  one  less  of  the  daughters;  there  being 
six  sons  and  three  daughters.  My  grandfather  gave 
his  daughters  the  names  of  three  of  his  sisters :  Mary, 
Catherine  and  Elizabeth,  though  they  went  by  the 
names  of  Polly,  Katy  and  Betsy.  These  nine  children 
all  lived  to  be  more  than  sixty  years  old,  several  of 
them  over  eighty,  and  but  two  died  under  seventy. 

My  father  who  was  also  named  Jacob,  was  the  fifth 
child  and  third  son.  The  names  of  the  sons  and 
daughters  in  the  order  of  their  birth  were  Matthias, 
John,  Mary,  Catherine,  Jacob,  George  Washington, 
Elizabeth,  Levi  and  Ephraim.  The  three  younger  sons 
were  the  school  teachers.  My  father  attended  school 
long  enough  to  learn  to  read  and  write  and  to  cypher 
to  the  "  rule  of  three."  In  middle  life,  by  study  and 
practice,  he  greatly  improved  his  hand-writing  and  his 
skill  in  mathematics.  My  Grandfather  Harshman  was 
a  man  of  fair  complexion  and  blue  eyes;  my  grand- 
mother had  black  eyes  and  hair.  My  father  favored 
his  mother  and  was  of  dark  complexion.  As  I  am 
unlike  my  father,  fair  skinned  and  have  blue  eyes,  I 
always  thought  that  I  derived  my  looks  from  my 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  5 

mother,  but  on  examining  a  photograph  of  my  Grand- 
father Harshman  taken  in  his  old  age  and  which 
recently  came  into  my  possession,  I  was  surprised  to 
note  how  much  I  resemble  him.  My  father  was  born 
on  December  4th,  1821,  in  Washington  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. While  he  was  yet  a  lad  my  grandfather  re- 
moved to  Lordstown,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  and 
bought  a  small  farm  adjoining  his  father's  farm.  In 
the  spring  of  1841,  when  my  father  was  past  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Jones,  who 
was  several  years  his  senior.  She  was  born  in  Cum- 
berland county,  Pennsylvania,  but  I  am  not  informed 
of  the  exact  date.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel 
Jones,  a  common  laborer,  who  raised  a  large  family, 
two  sons  and  eight  daughters.  My  maternal  grand- 
mother was  of  German  extraction.  Her  maiden  name 
was  Susannah  Ernst.  Grandfather  Jones  was  of  Eng- 
lish or  Welsh  extraction.  He  was  a  man  of  unusual 
physical  strength  and  of  an  intelligence  above  the 
average,  as  some  of  his  letters  I  have  seen  testify ;  but 
he  was  lacking  in  ability  to  manage  his  affairs  and  being 
burdened  with  a  large  family  he  never  acquired  prop- 
erty. My  Grandmother  Jones'  family  were  thrifty 
people.  All  their  ten  children  grew  up  and  all  but  two 
lived  to  old  age.  The  youngest  son,  William,  was  a 
feeble  child  and  never  grew  strong,  and  died  in  middle 
age.  My  mother  died  before  thirty  years  of  age. 
Grandfather  Jones  removed  to  Ohio  before  his  chil- 
dren were  all  grown.  His  daughters,  as  they  grew  up, 
were  compelled  to  earn  their  own  living.  Grandmother 
and  Grandfather  Jones  were  religious  people  and  their 
children  were  so  trained  that  they  became  religious  also 
in  early  life.  My  mother  lost  her  health  shortly  after 
her  marriage,  being  attacked  with  pulmonary  trouble. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MY  BIRTH  AND  EARLY  CHILDHOOD. 

I  was  born  on  November  30th,  1841.  As  a  result 
of  my  mother's  feeble  health,  my  birth  was  premature, 
and  I  was  a  very  small  specimen  of  humanity  to  begin 
with.  As  my  mother's  health  was  so  delicate  that  she 
could  not  nurse  me,  artificial  means  of  nourishment 
were  resorted  to,  and  I  had  to  use  a  bottle.  Notwith- 
standing these  handicaps,  I  thrived  and  became  a 
strong,  healthy  child.  I  was  born  in  a  log  cabin  of 
one  room  in  Lordstown,  Trumbull  county,  Ohio,  about 
one  and  one-half  miles  east  and  one  mile  south  of  the 
center  of  the  township.  In  the  Western  Reserve  of 
northeastern  Ohio  the  townships  are  five  miles  square, 
while  in  the  remainder  of  the  state  they  are  six  miles 
square.  In  these  townships  the  highways  are  so  laid 
off  that  they  cross  at  the  center  of  each  township,  and 
in  most  cases  there  is  a  village  at  this  point  wherein 
is  situated  the  Post  Office  for  the  township.  Modern 
rural  delivery  has  somewhat  changed  this,  however. 
The  fact  of  having  been  born  in  a  log  cabin  is  no  par- 
ticular distinction,  since  more  than  one-half  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  rural  districts  lived  in  log  houses, 
those  living  in  houses  of  hewn  logs  constituting  the 
aristocracy.  The  cabin  in  which  I  was  born  was  built 
of  logs  with  the  bark  on,  covered  with  clapboards 
held  in  place  by  weight  poles.  The  loft  of  the  cabin 
was  utilized  as  a  guest  chamber  as  well  as  a  store  house 
for  grain  and  fruits  and  garden  herbs.  The  stars  were 

6 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  7 

visible  through  the  interstices  of  the  roof  on  a  clear 
night  and  there  was  no  need  of  extra  provision  for 
ventilation.  The  hut  in  which  I  was  born  was  still 
standing  when  I  last  visited  Ohio,  more  than  sixty 
years  after  my  birth.  It  had  long  ceased  to  be  a 
human  habitation,  probably  it  had  not  been  occupied 
for  more  than  fifty  years.  My  mother  died  on  March 
1st,  1842,  when  I  was  three  months  and  one  day  old. 
She  was  a  good  woman  according  to  her  light,  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  society.  Her 
funeral  sermon  was  preached  by  a  M.  E.  preacher  by 
the  name  of  Ira  Norris.  I  was  informed  many  years 
afterward,  in  1869,  when  I  was  visiting  in  Ohio  and 
preaching  in  the  neighborhood  of  my  birth,  that  a  re- 
markable thing  occurred  at  my  mother's  funeral,  which 
was  well  remembered  by  old  people  after  the  lapse  of 
twenty-eight  years.  In  the  prayer  which  the  minister 
offered  at  the  funeral  there  was  nothing  unusual 
noticed  until  he  prayed  for  the  infant  that  had  been 
left  motherless,  when  there  was  a  remarkable  display 
of  divine  power,  or  as  some  who  were  present  ex- 
pressed it,  "  heaven  and  earth  seemed  to  come  to- 
gether." I  feel  that  God  has  been  answering  that 
prayer  ever  since.  After  the  death  of  my  mother  I 
was  taken  to  live  at  my  Grandfather  Harshman's, 
though  I  spent  some  of  the  time  at  my  Grandfather 
Jones',  who  now  lived  nearby.  Notwithstanding  the 
general  ignorance  of  sanitary  rules,  the  microbes  did 
not  get  the  advantage  of  me,  and  I  throve  on  a  diet 
of  cow's  milk  sucked  out  of  an  ordinary  bottle  through 
a  goosequill.  I  have  been  told  that  it  was  some  trouble 
to  keep  me  supplied  with  bottles,  for  if  one  was  al- 
lowed to  become  empty  while  I  was  using  it  I  would 


8  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

throw  it  to  the  floor,  which  necessitated  a  new  one, 
as  carpets  were  not  used  in  those  days.  After  re- 
maining a  widower  something  over  a  year  my  father 
married  again.  His  second  wife  was  the  next  younger 
sister  of  his  first  wife,  by  name  Catherine  Jones.  Of 
my  mother  I,  of  course,  have  no  recollection,  and  as 
she  died  before  the  era  of  photography,  I  have  never 
seen  any  portrait  of  her.  The  only  visual  evidence  I 
have  that  she  ever  lived  is  her  tombstone  in  the  cem- 
etery near  the  center  of  Lordstown.  She  was,  I  am 
told,  rather  tall  and  slender,  having  a  good  form,  with 
blue  eyes  and  light  brown  hair,  and  was  quite  fair  to 
look  upon.  She  was  neat  and  tasty  in  her  dress,  was 
of  good  mental  traits  and  powers,  fairly  educated, 
and  could  sing  well.  My  stepmother  was  well  edu- 
cated for  those  times,  was  above  the  average  in  intellect 
and  general  information,  sincerely  religious,  and  took 
unusual  pains  in  my  training.  In  fact,  so  good  a 
mother  to  me  was  she  that  I  never  should  have  sus- 
pected that  she  was  not  my  real  mother,  and  I  am 
told  that  I  was  much  distressed  when  first  informed 
by  mischievous  playmates  that  she  was  not  my  mother. 
My  father  and  she  began  housekeeping  in  another 
log  cabin  about  one-half  mile  east  of  the  one  in  which 
I  was  born.  My  father  had  no  trade  and  no  means, 
and  the  wages  of  day  laborers  were  quite  low.  He 
was  an  expert  with  the  ax  and  spent  much  time  es- 
pecially in  the  winter  months  in  cutting  cord  wood 
which  was  used  to  make  charcoal  required  by  the  iron 
furnaces  in  the  towns  of  Mahoning  valley,  just  be- 
coming celebrated  for  its  production  of  coal  and  iron. 
In  the  summer  he  worked  at  farming.  My  first  rec- 
ollection is  of  this  home  when  I  could  not  have  been 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  9 

more  than  two  years  old.  I  remember  myself  as  having 
on  a  linsey  woolsey  dress  going  out  into  the  chimney 
corner  at  the  side  of  the  house.  Just  a  glimpse  and 
that  is  all.  The  next  recollection  I  have  is  of  living 
in  another  house  to  which  we  next  moved,  which  was 
on  the  farm  settled  by  my  great-grandfather,  one- 
half  mile  north  of  my  birthplace.  The  mental  picture 
is  of  a  bright  winter's  morning,  the  ground  covered 
with  snow,  and  a  little  boy  half  dressed  standing  on 
a  porch  on  the  west  side  of  the  house  at  the  south 
end  of  the  porch  and  looking  out  toward  the  wood 
pile  where  my  father  and  grandfather  were  unloading 
wood  from  a  sled  drawn  by  a  team  of  mares,  one  black 
called  "  Goalie,"  and  the  other  a  clay-bank  color  named 
"  Fox."  Goalie  was  soon  disposed  of  by  my  grand- 
father, but  Fox  he  kept  until  she  died  of  old  age.  She 
was  a  gentle  beast,  but  unreasonably  afraid  of  a 
buffalo  robe,  at  sight  or  smell  of  which  she  would  cut 
up  didos.  I  was  a  bright,  active  child,  and  somewhat 
precocious.  I  am  told  that  as  soon  as  I  could  walk 
I  would  climb  up  on  chairs  and  jump  down,  to  the 
alarm  of  my  parents.  While  we  lived  at  the  place 
last  mentioned,  I  made  my  first  visit  to  a  school.  It 
was  in  a  log  schoolhouse  and  the  seats  were  slabs  with 
pegs  for  legs,  which  were  set  in  auger  holes  at  the  ends. 
The  slabs  were  turned  flat  side  up.  I  could  not  have 
been  more  than  four  years  old  at  this  time.  I  soon 
tired  of  sitting  on  a  hard  bench  with  legs  dangling 
and  became  restless.  The  teacher,  who  was  a  man, 
thinking  to  quiet  me,  threatened  to  put  me  in  the  stove, 
but  as  my  whole  experience  had  been  with  truthful 
people  I  was  very  much  frightened,  and  the  teacher 
was  rid  of  me  permanently.  About  this  time  in  the 


10  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

spring,  after  I  was  four  years  old,  my  father  made 
another  change  of  habitation.  As  I  have  said,  high- 
ways running  north  and  south  and  east  and  west 
crossed  at  the  center  of  the  township.  One  and  one- 
half  miles  in  each  direction  from  this  center  were 
roads ;  those  on  the  east  and  west  sides  running  north 
and  south,  and  those  on  the  north  and  south  running 
east  and  west,  making  a  square  three  miles  on  each 
side  and  cut  into  four  equal  parts  by  the  roads  crossing 
at  the  center.  So  that  each  of  these  smaller  squares 
was  one  and  one-half  miles  on  each  side.  We  had 
lived  on  the  east  side  of  the  square  lying  to  the  south- 
east. We  now  removed  to  the  west  side  of  the  same 
square  on  the  road  running  south  from  "  the  center  " 
as  it  was  called.  We  here  lived  on  a  farm  belonging 
to  my  father's  uncle,  Daniel  Harshman,  whose  wife, 
who  was  a  sister  of  my  Grandmother  Harshman,  had 
died  some  time  previously.  Here  we  lived  several 
years.  During  the  succeeding  winter  my  Grandmother 
Jones,  who  was  now  a  widow,  lived  with  us  and  taught 
me  the  German  alphabet.  I  do  not  know  when  I 
learned  the  English  alphabet,  but  it  was  so  early  in 
life  that  I  have  no  recollection  of  it.  The  first  I  re- 
member studying  in  school  was  words  of  two  letters 
in  Webster's  Elementary  Spelling  Book  with  green 
pasteboard  covers.  These  I  could  rattle  off  as  fast  as 
I  could  talk.  I  began  going  to  school  before  I  was 
five  years  old.  I  was  timid  and  fearful  and  my  young 
companions,  with  the  cruelty  of  childhood,  did  what 
they  could  to  make  life  miserable  for  me.  Living  be- 
tween my  father's  residence  and  the  schoolhouse,  more 
than  half  a  mile  distant,  lived  a  man  in  a  hewn  log 
house  whose  name  was  Henry  Thorn,  with  a  wife 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  11 

named  Polly.     She  had  followed  him  from  Virginia 
and  insisted  on  living  with  him.    He  was  in  the  habit  of 
getting  drunk  whenever  he  went  to  town,  and  would 
come  home  in  fighting  mood  and  drive  Polly  out  until 
he  became  sober,  when  she  would  return  home.    Polly 
was  of  the  opinion  of  the  Irish  woman  that  it  was  a 
very  poor  man  that  was  not  better  than  none.     I  was 
afraid  of  this  man  and  my  playmates  encouraged  my 
fears  so  that  I  was  in  terror  when  passing  his  house. 
After  the  first  year,  my  mother's  youngest  sister,  who 
was  six  years  older  than  I,  came  to  live  with  us  and 
I  had  her  company  to  and  from  school.     I  learned 
very   rapidly  and   was   soon   reading  in   the   Second 
Reader.    I  was  even  then  ambitious  to  excel  in  every- 
thing, and  made  much  amusement  for  the  family  by 
crying  because  the  teacher,  who  was  boarding  with 
us,  could  eat  buckwheat  cakes   faster  than  I  could. 
From  my  earliest  recollection  I  was  deeply  impressed 
by  religious  subjects.     My  stepmother  very  carefully 
taught  me,  and  her  instructions  found  fertile  soil  in 
my  mind.    As  a  result  of  her  labors,  I  have  been  all 
my  life  afraid  of  sin.     In  school  I  heard  much  bad 
language  from  my  playfellows.    One  day  when  some- 
thing displeased  me  I  uttered  an  oath.     I  was  im- 
mediately struck  with  terror  at  what  I  had  done  and 
at  once  ran  all  the  way  home  to  tell  mother  what  I 
had   done,   and  asked  her   if  she  thought  the  Lord 
would  forgive  me.     Being  assured  that  He  would  if 
I  would  do  so  no  more,  I  was  consoled  and  returned 
to  school.     I   was  particularly  afraid  of   lying,   and 
never  could  tell  a  lie  even  in  a  joke.    My  veracity  was 
unquestioned  among  my  associates.     Up  to  this  time 
they  had  none  but  subscription  schools  in  Ohio,  but 


12  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  free  school  system  was  adopted  there  soon  after- 
ward. English  grammar  was  introduced  into  the 
school  I  attended  and  my  fancy  was  much  struck  by 
the  recitations  I  heard  and  I  began  to  imitate  the 
parsing  I  heard.  When  I  was  seven  years  old  I  per- 
suaded my  parents  to  get  me  a  book  and  I  began 
studying  grammar.  The  text  book  was  Samuel  Kirk- 
ham's  English  Grammar.  While  we  lived  on  this 
farm  I  met  with  a  serious  accident.  My  father  had 
taken  a  load  of  hay  to  Warren,  the  county  seat,  and 
had  taken  me  with  him.  I  was  about  six  years  old. 
On  the  way  home  on  the  empty  wagon  my  father  had 
seated  me  behind  him  astride  of  the  board  running 
lengthwise  of  the  wagon.  My  father  sat  with  both 
feet  on  one  side,  and  I  became  ambitious  to  sit  as 
father  did.  As  I  was  changing  my  position  we  crossed 
a  small  culvert  and  a  young  mare  in  the  team  jumped 
across,  giving  the  wagon  a  sudden  jerk.  I  fell  off 
and  the  rear  wheel  passed  over  my  left  arm,  dis- 
locating my  elbow  and  breaking  the  humerous  about 
halfway  between  the  elbow  and  the  shoulder.  By  the 
time  we  reached  home  and  a  surgeon  could  be  called 
the  arm  was  much  swollen  and  I  suffered  intense  pain 
in  the  setting  of  the  fractured  bone.  While  living 
here  we  were  visited  on  a  very  hot  day  in  July,  with 
the  mercury  98  in  the  shade,  the  hottest  day  for 
years,  by  an  insane  woman,  Mrs.  Mills  by  name.  At 
that  time  insane  asylums  were  few  in  this  country  and 
insane  people,  unless  violent,  were  often  allowed  to 
roam  at  large.  This  woman  was  in  this  habit.  When 
she  visited  us  on  this  hot  day  she  exhibited  to  my 
stepmother  six  flannel  skirts  that  she  wore,  giving 
as  her  reason  for  so  doing  that  she  wished  to  keep 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  13 

out  the  heat.  As  the  temperature  was  blood  heat 
without,  I  suppose  the  skirts  kept  out  as  much  heat 
as  they  kept  in.  As  I  was  afraid  of  her,  I  had  crawled 
under  the  bed,  a  common  city  of  refuge  for  fright- 
ened children  in  those  days  of  single-room  houses 
and  high-post  bedsteads.  She  tried  to  frighten  me 
further  by  telling  me  that  snakes  might  get  me.  House 
snakes  commonly  infested  log  houses  in  their  search 
for  mice ;  they  were  harmless,  however. 

When  I  was  in  my  eighth  year  my  father  made 
another  removal  to  a  point  two  miles  east  of  The 
Center,  still  living  in  a  log  house.  Here  we  remained 
one  year.  During  the  winter  I  attended  school  in 
a  log  school  house  one-half  mile  west  of  us  at  the 
cross  roads.  It  was  taught  by  a  young  man  named 
Servetus  Parke,  a  good  teacher.  I  read  McGuffy's 
Fourth  Reader  in  a  class  of  young  men  and  young 
women.  I  was  also  in  the  grammar  class  with  them. 
I  had  not  yet  begun  arithmetic.  I  remember  when 
we  were  reading  that  extract  from  Philip's  memor- 
able oration  on  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  beginning  with 
"  He  is  fallen ;  we  may  now  pause  before  that  splendid 
prodigy,"  etc.,  I,  in  reading  my  verse  in  turn  came 
to  the  phrase  "  the  titular  dignitaries  of  a  chess  board." 
Of  course  I  had  no  idea  what  that  meant,  nor,  I 
suspect,  had  my  older  classmates  much  more  idea, 
when  one  of  them  suggested  that  the  word  was  pro- 
nounced "  cheese  board,"  and  I  read  it  that  way,  much 
to  the  merriment  of  the  class.  I  was  always  unsus- 
pecting and  easily  imposed  upon.  That  winter  when 
I  was  eight  years  old,  I  "  spelled  down  "  the  school 
in  spelling  school.  That  winter  I  read  a  copy  of 
Bunyan's  Pilgrim  Progress  all  to  pieces  and  became 


14  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

as  familiar  with  the  road  to  the  celestial  city  as  with 
the  road  to  school.  Obviously,  I  had  no  conception 
of  the  spiritual  meaning  of  the  book.  It  was  to  me 
a  tale  of  giants  and  hobgoblins  and  of  the  adventures 
of  quaint  people.  During  the  summer  months  it 
was  one  of  my  chores  to  drive  our  cow  to  and  from 
pasture.  One  evening  as  I  walked  behind  her,  I 
poked  her  with  a  stick  I  carried  and  she.  promptly 
kicked  me.  On  the  impulse  of  the  moment  I  used 
some  profane  word.  I  did  not  run  to  tell  mother 
this  time,  but  I  felt  profoundly  ashamed  and  cha- 
grined. This  was  the  second  and  last  time  I  ever 
used  a  profane  word.  During  the  following  winter 
I  met  with  another  serious  accident.  There  was  a 
deep  snow  on  the  ground  and  father  had  gone  to  his 
father's  place  to  make  himself  a  sled.  Mother  was 
washing  clothes  and  sent  me  with  a  small  tin  bucket 
to  a  little  stream  nearby  to  get  her  some  water.  There 
were  some  young  horses  in  the  field  through  which 
this  stream  ran,  and  they,  probably  thinking  I  had 
salt  in  the  bucket,  followed  me.  I  turned  to  drive 
them  back  when  one  of  them,  a  three-year-old  mare, 
kicked  me  in  the  face  and  knocked  me  down.  A 
neighbor  passing  saw  me  getting  up  and  falling  down 
in  the  snow  and  thought  I  was  playing.  My  step- 
mother, coming  to  see  what  kept  me  so  long,  saw  me 
coming  toward  the  house  covered  with  blood  and 
was  much  frightened.  She  found  on  examination  that 
my  nose  was  split  and  the  left  upper  lip  cut  through 
to  the  teeth.  My  father  was  sent  for  and  a  physician. 
It  was  some  time  before  I  regained  entire  conscious- 
ness. I  carry  the  scar  of  that  kick  to  this  day.  The 
next  spring  my  father  removed  to  Preston's  Corners, 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  15 

a  cross  roads  one  and  one-half  miles  south  of  the 
"  Center "  and  near  the  schoolhouse  where  I  first 
attended  school,  where  he  lived  one  year.  This  was 
in  the  spring  of  1850.  Few  things  worth  noting  oc- 
curred to  me  during  the  year.  Our  house  was  a  frame 
house,  the  first  of  the  kind  I  had  ever  lived  in,  con- 
taining two  rooms.  I  had  a  laughable  experience 
during  the  summer.  I  still  had  the  task  of  driving 
the  cow  to  and  from  pasture.  One  evening  I  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  riding  the  cow.  She  was  very 
gentle  and  I  thought  she  would  not  object.  I  ran 
ahead  and  mounted  a  stump  beside  the  path  and  when 
the  cow  got  opposite  I  leaped  astride  her  back.  The 
effect  was  instantaneous.  The  conduct  of  the  cow 
surprised  me  as  much  as  I  surprised  her.  As  I  had 
not  been  trained  for  a  circus  performer  I  was  soon 
unseated.  The  cow  was  satisfied  and  so  was  I. 
During  this  summer  my  father,  one  morning  early, 
hitched  up  his  mare  "  Elder,"  so  called  because  he 
got  her  from  a  Methodist  presiding  Elder,  put  into 
the  buggy  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and  five 
children  and  drove  by  sundown  to  a  point  on  the 
Ohio  river  near  where  East  Liverpool  now  stands. 
There  was  already  a  village  there  and  potteries  making 
coarse  ware.  The  distance  travelled  that  day  was 
about  sixty  miles.  We  went  to  visit  a  brother-in-law 
of  my  father,  who  had  married  my  mother's  oldest 
sister.  This  trip  was  a  great  treat  to  us  children, 
who  had  never  before  been  more  than  a  short  distance 
from  home.  The  beautiful  Ohio  river  ran  in  sight 
of  the  house  in  which  my  uncle  lived.  Here  I  saw 
a  steamboat  for  the  first  time.  The  river  was  low, 
but  still  it  seemed  immense  to  me.  I  was  taken 


16  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

across  it  in  a  skiff  into  what  is  now  West  Virginia. 
I  well  remember  the  outward  trip  but  have  no  re- 
membrance of  the  return  trip.  In  October  my  father 
made  a  trip  into  Vienna  township  to  procure  cider 
and  apples  out  of  which  to  make  apple  butter.  This 
was  before  the  days  of  hermetically  sealed  cans  to 
preserve  fruit  in.  To  preserve  fruit,  it  was  either 
dried,  preserved  in  sugar  or  made  into  jam  or  butter. 
My  father  each  year  would  procure  two  or  three 
barrels  of  cider  and  apples  to  thicken  the  syrup.  The 
cider  was  boiled  down  one-half  or  more  and  the  pre- 
pared apples  which  had  been  pared,  quartered  and 
cored,  were  put  into  it  and  boiled  and  stirred  until 
the  apples  were  cooked  and  dissolved.  The  morning 
I  mentioned  was  cool  and  frosty  and  I  had  difficulty 
in  keeping  warm  while  riding  and  ran  after  the  wagon 
part  of  the  time.  When  we  reached  the  cider  press, 
I  was  much  interested  in  the  process  of  making  cider, 
which  was  somewhat  primitive.  Instead  of  burlap 
sheets  to  contain  the  cheeses  they  used  rye  straw.  It 
was  a  screw  press  manipulated  with  lever  by  hand 
power.  I  shivered  as  I  saw  men  with  bare  hands  and 
arms  working  with  the  cold  pomace  while  I  was 
uncomfortably  cold  standing  by.  I  went  into  the 
dwelling  which  stood  near  to  warm  myself,  where  I 
saw  an  old  lady  sitting  knitting  while  a  pot  over  the 
fireplace  sent  forth  the  odor  of  boiling  pumpkin, 
which  I  never  could  endure.  It  was  difficult  to  choose 
between  the  cold  without  and  the  smell  within.  I 
helped  my  father  pick  the  apples  under  the  trees  in 
the  orchard  and  we  reached  home  with  our  booty 
about  dark. 

The  next  spring  when  I  was  in  my  tenth  year  we 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  1? 

removed  to  the  center  of  Lordstown,  a  small  village 
at  the  center  of  the  township.  We  lived  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village  or  hamlet  in  an  old  farm  house 
owned  by  Esquire  Leonard  Woodard,  the  rich  man 
of  the  township.  The  farm  had  formerly  been  owned 
by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Stitle  and  the  house  was 
called  the  Stitle  house.  It  was  a  two-story  hewn-log 
house  having  three  rooms  in  each  story  besides  an 
attic.  My  father  began  work  in  a  sawmill  nearby 
where  he  learned  the  engineer's  trade  and  afterwards 
the  sawyer's  trade  also.  He  continued  in  this  busi- 
ness for  five  years,  part  of  the  time  as  an  employee, 
and  part  of  the  time  as  a  part-owner  in  the  business. 
The  principal  varieties  of  lumber  sawed  was  various 
kinds  of  oak  and  yellow  poplar  which  was  quite  plen- 
tiful in  that  section  and  of  large  size.  My  stepmother 
was  fearful  of  the  bursting  of  the  boiler  and  several 
times  when  a  gasket  would  be  blown  out  of  the  steam- 
pipe  I  have  seen  her  frightened  fearfully.  The  whole 
mill  and  logyard  would  be  enveloped  in  steam,  and 
the  hissing  noise  of  escaping  steam  was  proof  enough 
that  the  boiler  was  intact,  but  she  could  never  take 
these  things  into  consideration  in  her  alarm.  She 
would  run  to  the  mill  as  fast  as  she  could  and  would 
not  be  satisfied  until  she  saw  father  safe. 

I  have  spoken  of  my  unusual  conscientiousness,  and 
some  may  get  from  the  account  the  false  impression 
that  I  was  something  of  an  effeminate  mamma's  dar- 
ling sort  of  boy.  On  the  contrary,  I  was  a  normal  boy, 
loving  fun  and  sport  and  excelling  in  out-of-door 
games  and  athletic  exercises.  Few  of  my  age  could 
surpass  me  in  running,  jumping  or  wrestling.  I  was 
strong  and  active,  large  of  my  age,  and  always  from 


18  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

childhood  appearing  older  than  I  was,  both  mentally 
and  physically.  I  was  thoughtless  and  heedless  in 
play,  not  seeing  danger  until  I  was  into  it.  In  school 
I  was  studious  and  generally  well  behaved  but  some- 
times getting  into  mischief  and  meeting  with  reproof 
or  punishment.  But  there  was  one  thing  I  would  not 
do.  I  would  not  fight,  thinking  it  not  only  sinful  but 
disgraceful.  I  had  something  of  the  feeling  toward 
fighting  that  the  mother  expressed  when  she  told  her 
daughter  that  a  certain  act  was  not  only  wrong,  but 
worse  than  that — it  was  vulgar.  So,  notwithstanding 
my  quick  temper  and  the  knowledge  that  I  was 
stronger  than  most  of  my  playmates,  I  never  had  a 
fight.  The  next  year  after  our  removal  to  the 
"  center,"  I  think  it  was,  a  select  school  was  opened 
at  that  place  and  my  parents,  being  ambitious  for  my 
advancement,  sent  me  to  it.  It  opened  in  the  Meth- 
odist meeting  house  for  the  spring  term  but  when  the 
town  hall  was  completed  it  was  removed  to  it.  I 
attended  two  terms  of  select  school  that  summer  and 
the  common  school  the  next  winter,  and  the  next  year 
the  same.  Being  of  a  nervous  temperament,  this 
began  to  tell  upon  me,  and  I  developed  a  nervous 
disease  resembling  hypochondria,  and  my  parents 
were  forced  to  take  me  from  school  for  a  while.  I 
soon  recovered,  however,  and  went  back  to  school 
again.  The  teacher  of  this  select  school  was  a  young 
man  named  Joseph  E.  King.  He  taught  the  school 
several  successive  terms  and  was  a  very  successful 
teacher.  He  made  a  greater  impression  upon  the 
character  of  his  pupils  than  any  other  teacher  I  ever 
knew.  He  afterwards  became  a  minister  of  the  gospel 
among  the  people  calling  themselves  Disciples  of 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  19 

Christ,  and  I  never  saw  him  after  he  left  the  school. 
He  was  quick  tempered  and  severe  in  his  discipline, 
but  was  thoroughly  liked  and  respected  by  his  pupils, 
and  did  much  toward  making  ladies  an4  gentlemen  of 
them.  Not  long  after  we  removed  to  the  Stitle  house, 
my  father  was  elected  township  clerk,  an  office  which 
he  held  several  successive  terms  until  he  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  office  he  held  for  twenty- 
five  years.  The  township  clerk  was  also  clerk  of  the 
board  of  education,  which  controlled  the  affairs  of 
the  public  schools  of  the  township.  About  this  time 
a  law  was  passed  by  the  legislature  establishing  a 
public  school  library.  The  books,  for  our  township 
were  sent  to,  and  left  with,  the  township  clerk  as 
custodian,  where  they  remained  for  several  months 
until  they  were  distributed  to  the  several  school  dis- 
tricts. I  had  always  suffered  from  a  dearth  of  reading 
matter,  being  an  insatiable  reader.  Books  and  news- 
papers and  periodicals  were  much  scarcer  then  than 
now  and  my  parents  were  not  able  to  procure  many  of 
them.  I  literally  reveled  in  literature  that  winter. 
When  I  was  about  twelve  years  old  I  had  an  attack 
of  pleurisy  and  was  quite  sick.  The  doctor  gave  me 
pretty  large  doses  of  quinine  which  affected  my  brain 
and  produced  that  sense  of  increased  size,  which  it 
often  does.  I  distinctly  remember  a  dream  that  per- 
sisted with  me.  I  dreamed  that  I  was  ploughing  with 
a  yoke  of  oxen  and  my  field  was  the  map  of  the 
United  States  and  that  was  too  small  a  field  for  me 
as  the  oxen  insisted  on"  running  into  the  Atlantic 
ocean  on  one  side  and  the  Pacific  on  the  other  side, 
which  put  me  in  a  great  strain.  In  the  winter  of, 
1855-56  we  had  a  deep  snow  which  fell  during  the 


20  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS, 

holidays  and  lay  on  the  ground  until  spring.  A  crust 
formed  over  the  top  of  it  which  would  bear  up  the 
children  and  their  sleds,  affording  them  great  sport. 
The  sleighing  was  excellent  and  the  Methodist  people 
particularly  utilized  it  in  the  holding  of  numerous 
revival  meetings  with  unusual  success.  A  series  of 
meetings  was  held  at  the  "  Center "  in  the  M.  E. 
house  there,  and  during  its  progress  I  professed  con- 
version and  united  with  the  Methodist  society  on 
probation.  The  preacher  in  charge  on  our  circuit  was 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Tagg,  a  little  Englishman,  but  an  able 
preacher  who  nightly  invited  and  urged  sinners  to 
come  to  the  "  halter  "  for  prayers.  They  took  him 
at  what  he  meant  and  not  at  what  he  said,  and  went. 
I  had  been  religious  all  my  life  and  I  experienced  no 
particular  change  in  my  experience,  somewhat  to  my 
disappointment,  but  I  had  my  mind  made  up  to  serve 
the  Lord  and  so  went  along  doing  the  best  I  knew. 
Notwithstanding  the  religious  excitement  of  the  time 
the  spiritual  condition  of  the  people  was  quite  low. 
My  teacher  that  winter  was  W.  H.  Wilson,  who 
afterwards  became  a  Methodist  travelling  preacher 
and  who  was  an  earnest  spiritual  man.  There  was 
a  Disciple  church  in  our  neighborhood  and  contention 
between  them  and  the  Methodists  ran  quite  high. 
The  Disciples  were  much  given  to  religious  disputa- 
tion, thinking  that  "  without  controversy,  great  is  the 
mystery  of  godliness  "  and  they  always  stood  ready 
to  furnish  the  "  controversy."  Young  as  I  was,  I 
was  forced  to  defend  my  faith  against  their  attacks, 
and  I  acquired  a  prejudice  against  them  in  conse- 
quence that  time  has  not  wholly  removed.  I  never 
could  resist  the  force  of  argument  and  I  felt  com- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  21 

pelled  to  answer  what  appeared  to  be  argument  or 
accept  it.  This  put  me  to  the  study  of  the  scriptures 
and  fostered  a  love  of  theology  that  has  only  in- 
creased with  the  years.  I  procured  somewhere 
Ralston's  Elements  of  Divinity,  published  by  the 
Southern  Methodist  Publishing  House  and  read  it 
with  interest.  That  was  a  little  remarkable  for  a 
fourteen  year  old  boy.  One  result  of  my  religious 
controversies  was  that  I  learned  to  put  a  low  estimate 
upon  the  importance  and  value  of  carnal  ordinances. 


CHAPTER  III. 

MY  FIRST  EXPERIENCES  AS  A 
SCHOOL  TEACHER. 

THE  times  preceding  the  Civil  War  during  the  50's 
were  hard  on  the  laboring  classes.  Manufacturing 
was  in  its  infancy  in  this  country,  wages  were  low, 
and  the  necessaries  of  life  comparatively  high.  The 
finances  of  the  country  were  in  confusion,  wild  cat 
banks  were  issuing  currency  which  was  often  worth- 
less, and  there  was  no  monetary  stability.  My  father 
was  an  industrious,  hard  working  man,  but  he  found 
it  difficult  to  support  his  large  family  of  a  wife  and 
seven  children.  People  lived  much  poorer  and  more 
economically  than  in  the  present  time.  I  dressed 
as  well  as  the  majority  and  I  suppose  that  my  clothes 
for  a  year  did  not  cost  more  than  fifteen  dollars, 
and  such  clothes  would  cost  less  than  that  now.  I 
had  one  pair  of  shoes  or  boots  for  the  winter  and 
went  barefoot  in  the  summer.  Scarcely  anyone  among 
the  common  people  wore  underclothes,  and  overcoats 
were  scarce.  I  taught  school  two  years  before  I  owned 
an  overcoat.  Because  of  this  pressure  for  the  means 
of  subsistence,  my  father  was  anxious  that  I,  the 
oldest  son,  should  begin  to  assist  in  the  support  of 
the  family  as  soon  as  possible.  He  had  been  sending 
me  to  school  for  several  years  at  considerable  ex- 
pense and  he  was  anxious  for  some  returns.  So  in 
the  fall  of  1856,  when  I  was  nearing  my  fifteenth  year, 
he  decided  to  procure  a  school  for  me  the  following 

22 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  23 

winter.  I  was  large  of  my  age  and  looked  as  old 
as  many  boys  of  eighteen.  I  was  well  qualified  so  far 
as  education  was  concerned,  having  completed  the 
common  branches  along  with  physiology,  astronomy, 
natural  philosophy,  algebra,  geometry,  and  had  begun 
Latin  and  Greek.  So  a  school  was  procured  for  me 
in  an  adjoining  township  about  three  miles  from 
home.  I  was  to  teach  four  months  at  eighteen  dollars 
per  month  and  board  round  among  the  pupils.  This 
boarding  round  was  the  general  custom  then.  Of 
course  I  was  too  young  to  teach  school  and  the  mental 
tortures  I  endured  the  first  two  winters  I  taught 
brought  on  a  weakness  of  the  pneumogastric  nerve 
from  which  I  have  suffered  all  the  remainder  of  my 
life.  The  nervous  dyspepsia  of  my  later  years  is 
distinctly  traceable  to  this  period  of  my  life.  I  got 
through  my  first  school  without  trouble  and  without 
criticism,  and  gave  my  father  all  the  money  I  had 
earned.  But  I  was  not  satisfied  with  my  success.  I 
had  not  come  nearly  up  to  my  ideal,  and  I  could  not 
boast  of  any  success.  In  the  spring  I  hired  to  work 
for  Esquire  Woodard  on  his  farm  for  three  months 
from  the  first  of  April.  I  endeavored  to  be  a  faithful 
farm  hand,  but  I  fear  that  I  was  not  very  profitable, 
though  the  "  squire  "  bore  with  me  patiently.  I  could 
not  keep  my  mind  on  my  work.  I  had  become  ac- 
customed to  day-dreaming  when  alone,  and  I  would 
often  find  myself  standing  motionless  totally  oblivious 
of  all  going  on  about  me,  and  would  feel,  when  aroused, 
as  if  I  had  been  asleep.  In  a  few  years  this  trouble 
wore  off.  On  the  morning  of  the  tenth  of  June,  1857, 
we  had  a  killing  frost  which  killed  all  the  wheat  in 
Northeastern  Ohio.  The  farmers  were  much  excited, 


24  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

fearing  a  famine.  A  few  years  previously  wheat  had 
been  so  scarce  and  costly  that  the  people  had  lived  on 
corn  bread  for  a  year.  This  was  quite  disagreeable  to 
me  as  I  could  not  like  corn  bread.  The  frost  was  not 
so  disastrous  as  the  people  had  feared  as  it  was  con- 
fined to  a  small  section  of  the  country,  and  those 
who  rushed  in  and  bought  a  year's  supply  of  flour 
at  an  exorbitant  price  soon  had  reason  to  regret 
their  hasty  action  as  the  price  soon  fell  to  but  little 
above  what  it  was  before  the  frost.  The  poor  people 
who  had  no  money  to  invest  in  flour  were  saved 
the  loss  that  fell  upon  their  more  wealthy  neighbors. 
I  attended  school  in  the  fall  and  took  a  school  in  a 
district  in  our  own  township  adjoining  the  one  I 
taught  in  the  year  before.  About  this  time  a  young 
man  named  Samuel  F.  DeFord,  a  graduate  of  Mt. 
Union  college,  came  to  our  place  to  teach  the  select 
school.  He  was  a  good  teacher  and  a  good  business 
man.  He  built  a  school  building  and  established  a 
small  academy,  married  and  settled  down  among  us. 
I  attended  this  academy  one  term  each  year  until  I 
was  of  age.  From  the  time  of  the  establishment  of 
the  select  school,  a  lyceum  or  literary  society  had  been 
maintained  which  did  much  to  train  the  young  people 
in  public  speaking.  At  first  the  older  people  took 
part  in  the  exercises,  which  were  always  public,  es- 
pecially in  the  debates  in  which  many  interesting 
subjects  were  discussed,  such  as:  "Resolved  that 
the  Indian  has  more  reason  to  complain  of  his  treat- 
ment by  the  white  man  than  the  negro  has,"  "  Re- 
solved that  man  is  more  influenced  by  the  hope  of 
reward  than  the  fear  of  punishment,  etc."  These 
are  questions  that  have  two  sides  to  them  and  may 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  25 

be  discussed  indefinitely  and  everlastingly  without 
reaching  any  conclusion.  Afterwards  the  literary 
society  was  entirely  controlled  by  the  students  of 
the  academy.  It  met  once  a  week  the  year  round,  on 
Friday  nights.  Once  a  year,  in  the  fall,  we  would 
have  special  exercises  which  we  called  a  literary  ex- 
hibition. On  such  occasions  it  was  difficult  to  find  a 
room  large  enough  to  contain  the  audiences.  There 
would  be  essays,  generally  by  the  ladies;  a  paper  or 
periodical  containing  a  variety  of  articles,  original 
orations,  debates,  and  a  drama.  I  usually  had  a 
part  as  an  orator  or  a  debater.  I  once  had  a  part 
in  a  drama,  but  I  felt  that  I  was  a  failure  there. 
I  have  little  power  of  imitation.  The  school  sent 
out  a  large  number  of  teachers,  more  in  number  than 
were  sent  out  by  any  other  township  in  the  county. 
Of  these,  the  Harshmans  furnished  their  share.  My 
grandfather  had  three  children  and  twenty  to  twenty- 
five  grandchildren  who  taught  school. 

I  had  fair  success  in  teaching  a  four-months'  school 
in  the  winter  of  1857-58,  boarding  round  as  before, 
but  at  increased  wages,  viz.,  twenty-four  dollars  per 
month.  I  cannot  recall  what  I  worked  at  that  spring. 
Every  summer  I  assisted  in  harvesting  and  haying. 
Up  to  this  time  the  grain  had  been  cut  with  cradles; 
the  use  of  sickles  was  before  my  time.  But  the  grain 
harvest  was  a  short  one  as  so  little  grain  was  raised 
in  that  part  of  the  country  except  for  home  con- 
sumption. But  the  Western  Reserve  of  Ohio  was 
a  great  country  for  the  production  of  butter  and 
cheese,  and  a  great  amount  of  hay  was  secured  for 
winter  feed.  I  early  learned  to  swing  a  scythe,  for 
mowing  machines  were  just  now  beginning  to  come 


26  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

into  use  and  few  yet  had  them.  I  well  remember 
the  first  one  I  saw  in  use.  It  was  owned  by  "  Squire  " 
Woodard,  who  bought  the  first  one  in  the  township. 
It  was  an  awkward  implement  with  one  large  drive- 
wheel.  I  became  quite  expert  at  mowing  with  the 
scythe,  and  few  could  excel  me  as  a  hay  pitcher. 
My  father  was  an  excellent  hand  at  mowing  grass  and 
cradling  grain,  and  could  pitch  a  load  of  hay  off  a 
wagon  in  less  time  and  with  less  apparent  effort  than 
any  other  man  I  ever  saw  do  the  work.  The  farmers, 
many  of  them,  kept  sheep  and  the  shearing  of  them 
in  May  and  June  was  quite  an  industry.  My  father 
and  two  or  three  of  his  brothers  were  expert  sheep 
shearers  and  engaged  in  that  employment  each  year. 
I  also  learned  the  business,  but  did  not  follow  it 
long  enough  to  become  very  good  at  it.  It  was  hard, 
straining  work  and  quite  ill  smelling  and  filthy.  I 
again  attended  the  academy  in  the  fall,  and  the 
following  winter  taught  a  school  north  of  Lordstown 
in  Warren  township.  I  got  along  quite  pleasantly 
with  this  school  and  boarded  around  as  before.  In 
the  spring  I  was  suffering  from  indigestion,  about 
the  first  I  had  noticed  of  this  trouble  which  has  af- 
flicted me  at  times  during  the  remainder  of  my  life. 
The  symptoms  were  a  sudden  nausea  and  vomiting 
shortly  after  eating.  At  other  times  I  suffered  from 
"  water  brash  "  or  eructation  of  sour  fluid  from  my 
stomach.  About  this  time,  or  a  little  previously,  the 
discovery  of  petroleum,  or  rock  oil,  was  made  in 
western  Pennsylvania  at  Titusville  and  Oil  City. 
Great  excitement  was  produced  by  these  discoveries 
and  as  we  were  not  far  from  those  places,  not  more 
than  one  hundred  miles  probably,  there  were  many 
efforts  made  to  find  oil  in  our  county.  I  remember 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  27 

one  man  in  particular  in  our  township  by  the  name 
of  Peter  Shively.  He  owned  a  farm  through  which 
a  creek  flowed  which  had  been  dammed  to  provide 
power  for  a  saw  mill.  I  often  caught  sun-fish  in 
his  mill  pond.  He  bored  for  oil  and  was  confident 
that  he  was  about  to  become  a  rich  man.  However, 
his  prospects  failed,  he  got  in  debt  and  lost  his  farm, 
and  in  his  old  age  became  insane  and  killed  his  wife 
with  a  shot-gun  or  rifle.  In  the  township  of  Mecca 
in  our  county,  oil  was  found  in  paying  quantities, 
however.  Dr.  W.  H.  Brown  of  our  township  became 
interested,  financially,  in  an  oil  well  in  Mecca  and 
wanted  it  tested.  As  my  father  was  an  engineer,  he. 
employed  him  to  go  to  that  place  and  run  the  engine 
to  pump  the  well  to  ascertain  how  much  oil  it  would 
produce.  My  father  took  the  job,  and,  as  they  wished 
the  pump  to  go  continuously,  day  and  night,  he  took 
me  with  him  to  run  it  half  the  time.  I  was  no 
engineer  but  I  could  fire,  and  I  took  the  shift  from 
noon  until  midnight  and  my  father  the  one  from 
midnight  until  noon.  Water  and  oil  were  pumped  up 
together  into  a  huge  wooden  tank  containing  tens  of 
thousands  of  barrels.  The  wells  were  so  numerous 
that  all  the  wells  of  water  in  the  vicinity  were  im- 
pregnated with  the  oil  and  the  water  was  scarcely 
fit  to  drink.  In  the  great  tank  what  oil  there  was 
floated  on  top  of  the  water.  We  got  our  drinking 
water  by  boring  a  small  hole  in  the  side  of  the  tank 
and  drawing  the  water  out  by  the  cupfuls.  It  was 
full  of  floating  particles  of  oil  and  tasted  abominably, 
but  we  soon  became  accustomed  to  the  taste.  The 
oil  healed  my  stomach  and  cured  my  dyspepsia  for 
the  time  being.  The  oil  well  proved  to  be  a  failure 
and  our  job  was  soon  at  an  end. 


.CHAPTER  IV. 

A  NEW  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE. 

In  the  summer  of  this  year,  1859,  I  attended  my 
first  camp-meeting.  It  was  held  by  the  Methodists 
in  the  southeastern  part  of  Lordstown,  not  far  from 
the  residence  of  my  Grandfather  Harshman.  I  was 
then  in  my  eighteenth  year  and  had  already  been 
playing  the  man  for  three  years.  The  meeting  was 
quite  largely  attended  and  my  father  tented  or  camped 
on  the  camp  ground.  The  preacher  in  charge  of  our 
circuit  was  what  the  Methodists  called  a  holiness  man. 
His  name  was  Reeves.  In  his  sermons  he  called  the 
attention  of  the  membership  to  the  necessity  of  holi- 
ness of  heart  to  fit  one  for  heaven.  He  taught  the  Wes- 
leyan  theory  of  two  distinct  works  of  grace,  though 
he  said  but  little  on  those  points,  but  insisted  on  the 
need  of  holiness.  From  what  I  can  remember  of 
him,  I  think  it  was  a  theory  rather  than  an  experience. 
His  teaching  troubled  me  and  at  the  same  time  con- 
fused me. 

He  would  seem  to  recognize  all  who  professed  con- 
versions as  Christians,  on  the  road  to  heaven,  and 
that  would  give  me  assurance,  then  he  would  quote 
that  without  holiness  no  man  could  see  the  Lord,  and 
I  knew  he  considered  us  to  be  without  holiness,  and 
that  would  alarm  me.  I  could  not  reconcile  the  two 
teachings  and  was  left  in  a  quandary.  It  seemed 

28 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  29 

inconsistent  to  me  that  a  man  could  be  a  child  of 
God  and  still  not  fit  for  heaven.  It  yet  looks  that 
way  to  me.  The  wave  of  holiness  that  afterwards 
swept  over  the  country  was  then  just  beginning  to 
rise.  There  were  several  holiness  preachers  at  this 
camp-meeting,  among  them  W.  H.  Wilson,  whom  I 
have  before  mentioned,  and  one  by  the  name  of 
Chesboro.  They  had  special  services  for  those  wishing 
to  seek  sanctification.  I  began  to  feel  as  though  I 
had  no  religion  worth  speaking  of,  which  was  no 
doubt  the  truth,  though  I  was  a  good  and  acceptable 
member  of  the  Methodist  Society.  Toward  the  last 
of  the  meeting  one  night  an  invitation  was  given  for 
all  those  who  wished  to  seek  sanctification  to  retire 
to  the  Warren  tent  after  the  close  of  the  public  ex- 
ercises, and  I  went  in.  I  had  no  clear  idea  what  it 
was  I  needed,  or  what  its  practical  effect  would  be.  I 
had  had  no  definite  teachings  on  the  subject.  I  under- 
stood it  was  a  higher  or  deeper  work  of  divine  grace 
that  I  needed,  and  I  was  conscious  that  I  was  not 
right.  I  went  into  the  tent  and  knelt  down  with  the 
others.  I  was  tempted  that  if  I  became  holy  I  would 
not  need  to  live  here  any  longer  and  that  it  would  be 
signing  my  death  warrant.  Then  I  feared  that  the 
Lord  might  send  me  as  a  missionary  to  foreign  lands 
and  I  did  not  want  to  go.  I  debated  these  matters 
in  my  mind  and  had  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that 
I  would  take  the  consequences  when  a  preacher,  Bro. 
Chesboro,  said  to  me,  "  Do  you  now  give  up  all  for 
Christ?"  I  replied,  "I  do."  At  that  moment  I  lost 
consciousness  of  my  surroundings,  but  I  do  not  know 
how  long  I  remained  in  this  condition,  nor  what  1 
did.  My  father  was  kneeling  by  me  but  I  never 


30  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

thought  to  ask  him  what  occurred.  When  I  came  to 
myself  I  was  on  my  feet  laughing  and  praising  God. 
This  was  astonishing  to  me  as  heretofore  any  noisy 
religious  demonstrations  were  offensive  to  me,  possibly 
because  it  was  not  the  result  of  the  Spirit's  influence, 
when  I  had  heard  it.  This  new  experience  made  a 
great  change  in  my  religious  life.  I  found  a  boldness 
of  speech  which  I  had  not  known  before  and  a  religious 
joy  and  transport  which  was  unusual.  I  made  no  claim 
to  any  higher  experience,  and  called  the  work  that 
had  been  done  for  me  by  no  definite  name.  But  I 
found  myself  greatly  drawn  out  toward  God  and  real- 
ized a  tenderness  of  conscience  unknown  previously. 
It  seemed  I  could  not  go  into  a  meeting  without 
feeling  the  presence  of  God,  and  when  called  upon  to 
pray  I  seemed  always  to  have  immediate  access  to 
God.  My  grandfather  died  during  the  last  day  of 
the  camp-meeting  and  I  attended  his  funeral  the  day 
after  it  closed.  I  believed  him  a  good  man  who  had 
been  a  great  sufferer,  and  I  had  trouble  to  keep  from 
praising  God  aloud  at  his  funeral.  My  sister,  or 
half-sister  rather,  next  to  me  in  age,  and  a  cousin 
about  her  age  became  also  quite  spiritual  at  this  camp- 
meeting  and  we  had  good  times  together.  The  so- 
ciety to  which  we  belonged  was  quite  dead  and  formal 
in  its  devotions,  but  we  three  would  have  rejoicing 
times  at  the  prayer  meetings.  This  wonderful  mani- 
festation of  God  to  my  soul  continued  to  quite  an 
extent  for  more  than  three  years.  It  gave  me  quite 
a  religious  reputation,  though  I  was  not  conscious 
of  much  of  it  and  did  not  know  what  people  said  or 
thought  of  me.  My  friends  were  wise  enough  not 
to  tell  me  at  the  time  but  have  told  me  since.  I 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  31 

seemed  to  have  unusual  power  in  prayer,  and  have 
since  been  told  that  some  remarked  that  they  would 
rather  hear  my  prayer  than  the  preacher's  sermon. 
Although  I  was  not  yet  eighteen  years  old,  the  circuit 
preacher  proposed  to  me  that  fall  to  take  license  to' 
exhort.  I  begged  to  be  excused  as  I  thought  the 
responsibility  of  such  an  office  more  than  I  was  able 
to  sustain  at  that  time.  I  had  expected  from  the 
beginning  of  my  public  profession  of  religion  to  be- 
come a  preacher  of  the  Gospel  as  I  felt  called  to  that 
work  by  the  Lord.  But  I  did  not  wish  to  begin  so 
young.  However,  I  feared  to  refuse  the  work  thrust 
upon  me  lest  I  might  displease  God,  so  as  the  preacher 
insisted,  I  accepted  the  office  of  exhorter  from  the 
next  quarterly  conference,  and  I  soon  entered  upon 
the  work.  An  exhorter  among  the  Methodists  is  not 
expected  to  preach,  but  to  talk  in  a  more  desultory 
way,  though  some  exhorters  could  take  a  text.  I 
never  could  talk  at  random  or  without  something  to 
talk  about;  so  I  would  take  a  subject  in  my  mind 
but  would  not  announce  it.  I  was  surprised  to  find 
that  I  could  talk  half  an  hour  on  one  topic.  I  did 
not  exercise  very  often,  but  whenever  called  upon. 
I  was  not  a  phenomenon,  and  got  no  reputation  as  a 
boy  orator.  The  peculiar  experience  which  I  ob- 
tained at  the  camp-meeting  seemed  to  leave  me  as 
suddenly  as  it  came,  and  I  could  find  no  reason  why. 
The  Lord  ceased  to  manifest  Himself  to  my  soul  as 
He  had  been  doing  and  I  felt  deserted,  and  shut  off. 
I  struggled  for  a  while  to  regain  the  experience  I 
had  so  long  enjoyed,  and  failing,  I  gave  the  matter 
up  in  despair  of  success.  I  do  not  mean  that  I  gave 
up  serving  God,  but  that  I  despaired  of  attaining 


32  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

again  to  that  blessed  sense  of  the  nearness  of  God 
which  I  had  enjoyed  for  so  long  a  time.  I  would  have 
occasional  drawings  but  nothing  like  what  I  had  real- 
ized before.  I  do  not  now  think  that  I  was  really 
born  of  God  or  that  I  had  the  real  baptism  of  the 
Spirit;  I  lacked  the  evidence  of  this  experience.  But 
the  Lord  was  wonderfully  near  me  to  draw  me 
towards  Himself,  and  to  encourage  me  in  my  ig- 
norance and  lack  of  proper  instruction.  When  I 
became  contented  to  rest  in  these  manifestations,  and 
to  be  satisfied  with  these  gifts  without  the  Giver,  He 
withdrew  them,  and  I  felt  myself  bereft  and  discon- 
solate, not  understanding  the  Lord's  dealings.  But 
the  remembrance  of  these  enjoyments  remained  with 
me,  and  proved  to  be  a  safeguard  to  me  afterwards 
when  I  was  in  danger  of  dragging  my  anchor  and 
drifting  with  the  tide.  God's  ways  are  mysterious, 
but  far  above  our  thoughts.  However,  I  have  antici- 
pated my  story  in  order  to  give  the  whole  of  this 
peculiar  religious  experience. 


CHAPTER  V. 

I  CONTINUE  TEACHING. 

I  again  attended  school  at  the  Academy  at  Lords- 
town  in  the  fall  and  engaged  to  teach  during  the 
winter  term  in  Weathersfield  township,  to  the  east  of 
Lordstown  and  near  to  the  village  of  Girard,  and 
about  four  miles  from  Youngstown.  The  school  was 
near  some  coal  mines  and  the  most  of  the  pupils 
were  the  children  of  Welsh  coal  miners:  principally 
Davises  and  Evanses  and  Joneses.  I  did  not  board 
round,  however,  which  would  have  been  insufferable, 
but  boarded  with  an  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of 
Rinear,  who  lived  near  the  schoolhouse.  He  was 
a  sort  of  local  preacher  who  had  formerly  lived  in 
Lordstown,  until  his  wife  died.  He  then  married 
a  Widow  Wilson  who  owned  the  house  where  they 
lived.  I  have  been  told  that  I  never  preach  the  same 
sermon  twice  from  the  same  text.  Brother  Rinear 
was  different.  He  always  preached  the  same  sermon 
whatever  his  text  might  be.  But  though  his  talent 
was  small  he  had  been  useful.  My  Grandfather  and 
Grandmother  Harshman  had  professed  conversion 
under  his  labors,  and  though  past  middle  age,  con- 
tinued faithful  to  the  end.  At  the  time  I  went  to 
board  with  him  he  had  suffered  a  stroke  of  paralysis 
and  was  feeble  in  mind  and  body,  but  he  partially 
recovered  his  health.  The  school  here  was  altogether 
too  large  for  one  teacher.  I  had  one  hundred  and 
thirty-one  names  on  the  roll  and  thirty-seven  in  the 

33 


34  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

alphabet  class.  If  all  the  pupils  had  attended  school 
on  the  same  day  there  would  not  have  been  room  for 
them  all  in  the  schoolhouse,  but  the  average  attendance 
,  was  not  good,  amounting,  however,  to  above  eighty. 
It  was  a  heavy  task  for  an  eighteen-year-old  boy  to 
teach  and  manage  such  a  school.  These  children, 
however,  when  they  understood  they  had  a  master 
were  more  submissive  than  native  Americans,  and  i 
had  no  trouble  with  them.  A  Miss  Powers  had  taught 
the  school  for  several  preceding  terms  and  had 
trained  the  children  to  habits  of  neatness  and  clean- 
liness which  had  greatly  improved  them.  I  had  good 
success  in  this  school  and  got  through  the  term  without 
trouble  of  any  kind.  I  attended  church  at  Girard 
and  was  sometimes  called  upon  to  speak  in  public. 
As  I  was  but  eight  miles  from  home  I  went  home 
every  two  weeks.  I  closed  school  in  the  spring  with 
my  health  somewhat  impaired  and  started  in  to  at- 
tend a  spring  term  at  the  Academy.  However,  after 
a  few  weeks  I  was  taken  sick  and  my  disease  proved 
to  be  typhoid  fever.  When  this  disease  first  made 
its  appearance  in  northeastern  Ohio  a  few  years 
previously  the  physicians  did  not  know  how  to  treat 
it,  and  using  heroic  treatment  they  lost  most  of  their 
patients.  But  by  this  time  they  had  learned  better 
and  gave  but  little  medicine.  Mine  was  a  case  of 
"  walking  typhoid  " ;  I  did  not  lose  my  strength  so 
far  that  I  could  not  rise  from  my  bed  and  walk  across 
the  floor.  I  suffered  little  pain  and  did  not  have  a 
high  degree  of  fever,  yet  the  disease  produced  many 
ravages  in  other  ways.  I  became  very  much  ema- 
ciated, and  my  nerves  were  so  weakened  that  I  could 
scarcely  endure  for  persons  to  walk  across  the  floor. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  35 

My  trouble  was  also  complicated  by  an  abscess  on 
my  right  liver,  and  an  incision  had  to  be  made  in 
my  side  to  allow  the  pus  to  escape.  I  came  near 
dying,  though  I  had  no  idea  of  doing  so,  I  did  not 
feel  sick  enough ;  but  in  such  cases  the  patient  is 
sometimes  able  to  walk  about  until  death  comes.  I 
was  sick  for  six  weeks  and  it  was  much  longer  before 
my  normal  strength  returned.  I  was  very  careful 
during  my  convalescence  not  to  eat  any  forbidden 
thing,  but  by  the  time  I  was  allowed  to  eat  anything 
I  wished  my  appetite  was  almost  unappeasable.  I 
could  eat  things  with  a  relish  that  I  could  not  tolerate 
before  my  sickness ;  among  these  things  being  codfish, 
which  I  detested  up  to  this  time,  but  have  liked  ever 
since.  It  was  quite  a  while  before  I  recovered  the 
use  of  my  legs,  that  part  of  them  below  the  knees 
seeming  to  be  like  wooden  blocks.  My  father  had  a 
young  mare  which  he  called  Flora  Temple,  and  my 
brother  about  four  years  younger  than  I,  wished  to 
break  her  to  drive  single.  He  procured  a  cart,  but 
my  father  would  not  trust  him  with  the  mare  unless 
I  would  go  with  him.  I  could  not  walk  far,  so  he 
was  to  walk  and  drive  and  let  me  ride.  But  the 
mare  went  so  quietly  that  he  thought  he  might  ride 
too,  and  got  onto  the  cart.  When  we  got  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  from  home  the  colt  stopped  under 
the  shade  of  a  tree  and  my  brother,  wishing  her  to  go 
on,  slapped  her  with  the  lines.  She  reared  up  and 
turned  so  that,  as  she  came  down,  one  of  the  shafts 
struck  her  on  the  hip  and  she  started  to  run.  My 
brother  rolled  off  behind  and  let  her  go.  I  had  to 
jump,  and  fell  flat  when  I  hit  the  ground.  The  colt 
ran  a  short  distance  and  struck  the  fence  with  the 


36  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

cart  and  broke  both  traces.     So  my  brother  took  the 
harness  to  a  shoemaker  nearby  to  get  it  repaired  and 
I  got  home  the  best  way  I  could  by  easy  stages.     By 
harvest  time  I  had  so  far  recovered  from  my  illness 
that  I  was  able  to  go  to  work.     The  abscess  in  my 
side  had  contracted  the  muscles   in   my   right   side, 
causing  quite  a  stoop  for  a  while,  and  my  right  shoulder 
has  continued  through  life  a  little  lower  than  the  other. 
In  the  fall  I  attended  another  term  at  the  Academy 
and  engaged  a  school  for  the  winter  in  the  south  part 
of  the  district  in  which  I  had  taught  the  winter  pre- 
viously, the  district  having  been  divided.     I  boarded 
with  the  family  of  Joseph  Wilson,  a  son  of  the  old 
lady  who  had  boarded  me  the  winter  before.     I  was 
employed  to  teach  the  spring  term  of  the  same  school, 
and  I  boarded  with  the  family  of  Joseph  Kincaid,  a 
well-to-do  farmer  and  the  owner  of  coal  lands,  and 
a  good  Methodist.     I   remember  nothing  of   special 
interest  occurring  that  summer  except  the  political  ex- 
citement.    The  summer  before  was  that  of  the  year 
of  1860.     The  Southern  Democrats  nominated  J.  C. 
Breckenridge,  the  Northern   Democrats,   Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  and  the  Republicans  Abraham  Lincoln,  for 
president.    My  people  were,  nearly  all  of  them,  Demo- 
crats, but  they  were  anti-slavery  Democrats  and  con- 
sequently held  with  Douglas  and  his  "  squatter  sover- 
eignity."    The  campaign  was  very  exciting  and  party 
feeling  ran  high.     There  was  also  another  candidate 
for  president,  John  Bell  of  Tennessee,  who  was  called 
the  Union  candidate,  but  his  race  did  not  cut  much 
figure.     The   Republicans  organized   "  wide   awake  " 
clubs  and  equipped  them  with  coal-oil  torches,  and 
these  clubs  paraded  at  night,  making  a  fine  display. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  37 

Few  people  anticipated  the  awful  storm  that  was 
approaching.  Lincoln  was  elected  and  trouble  began 
brewing.  For  the  winter  of  1861-62  I  engaged  a  school 
to  the  west  of  the  district  in  which  I  had  taught  the 
two  previous  winters,  and  near  the  town  of  Niles, 
the  birthplace  of  Wm.  McKinley.  I  had  the  poorest 
success  in  this  school  of  any  I  had  yet  taught.  The 
teacher  the  year  before  was  a  violinist,  and  had  en- 
couraged the  children  to  dance  during  recess  and  noon- 
spell,  and  thus  gained  their  good  will.  I  was  an  al- 
together different  style  of  man,  religious  and  an  ex- 
horter  among  the  Methodists,  and  the  older  students, 
who  were  some  of  them  rough  and  wild,  and  several 
of  them  older  than  I  was,  conceived  a  dislike  for  me, 
as  I  could  not  sympathize  with  them  in  their  sports. 
And  while  they  did  not  dare  openly  to  defy  my  au- 
thority, they  conspired  to  make  me  all  the  trouble 
they  could.  This  discouraged  me,  and  though  the 
school  authorities  found  no  open  fault  with  me,  I 
felt  that  I  was  not  accomplishing  what  I  ought  in  the 
school,  and  at  the  end  of  three  months  I  resigned  as 
teacher.  The  term  was  for  four  months.  The  previous 
spring,  that  of  1861,  the  war  had  begun.  Fort  Sumter 
had  been  fired  on  and  President  Lincoln  had  called 
for  75,000  troops  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  These 
were  soon  supplied  but  it  was  soon  apparent  that  more 
troops  would  be  needed.  The  Democrats  were  gen- 
erally opposed  to  the  war,  thinking  that  the  contro- 
versies between  the  states  could  be  settled  without 
war.  No  doubt  if  the  majority  of  the  people  both  in 
the  North  and  the  South  could  have  had  their  way, 
the  differences  could  have  been  adjusted.  But  the 
ambitious  leaders  on  both  sides  were  not  favorable 


38  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

to  any  compromise.  The  Democrats,  no  doubt,  as  a 
rule  were  as  loyal  and  patriotic  as  the  Republicans, 
and  many  of  their  young  men  went  into  the  army; 
but  they  became  embittered  by  party  prejudice  against 
the  other  party  who  were  in  power  and  responsible 
for  the  conduct  of  affairs.  A  very  small  proportion 
of  the  Democrats  really  favored  the  cause  of  the  se- 
ceded states  or  sympathized  with  either  rebellion  or 
slavery,  but  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  put  in  a 
false  position.  After  it  was  evident  to  unprejudiced 
persons  that  the  conflict,  having  begun,  whether  being 
inevitable  in  its  inception  or  not,  there  could  be  no 
peace  except  by  the  defeat  of  one  side  or  the  other,  the 
Democrats  still  persisted  in  opposing  the  prosecution 
of  the  war  and  throwing  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the 
government,  thus  giving  aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemy. 
This  was  the  result  of  blind  partisanship  and  not  of 
treasonable  feelings  toward  the  government  of  the 
United  States.  A  bitter  price  has  that  party  paid  for 
its  mistake.  I  was  old  enough  to  enlist  but  I  did  not 
do  so.  I  had  no  taste  for  war  and  bloodshed,  and  but 
little  love  of  adventure,  and  the  prejudices  of  my  edu- 
cation were  all  against  war.  Nothing  but  a  strong 
sense  of  duty  could  have  induced  me  to  go  to  war. 
I  dreaded  camp  life  almost  as  much  as  I  did  fighting; 
it  seemed  to  me  that  it  would  be  intolerable.  Com- 
panies of  home  guards  were  organized  and  I  joined 
one  of  these  and  did  some  drilling.  In  the  summer 
of  1862  President  Lincoln  called  for  200,000  men  to 
serve  for  one  year,  and  as  enlistments  were  slow, 
he  ordered  a  draft  to  fill  up  the  quota.  I  escaped 
being  drafted,  but  my  father,  who  was  yet  subject  to 
military  duty,  was  drafted.  He  had  a  large  family 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  39 

dependent  upon  him  for  support,  and  it  did  not  seem 
as  though  he  could  be  spared.  I  offered  to  go  in  his 
place,  but  he  would  not  consent  to  it.  He  was  a  'poor 
man  and  money  was  scarce,  but  he  went  into  camp  at 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  in  a  short  time  he  hired  an 
alien  as  a  substitute  who  enlisted  for  three  years.  The 
feeling  of  antagonism  between  the  two  political  parties 
deepened  into  animosity,  so  that  social  ties  were  sev- 
ered and  neighbors  became  enemies.  The  young 
people  of  the  two  parties  scarcely  associated,  and  the 
separation  extended  into  the  schools  and  the  churches. 
The  children  of  Democrats  and  Republicans  could 
scarcely  sit  peaceably  together  in  the  same  school 
house,  and  their  parents  could  scarcely  worship  to- 
gether in  the  same  meeting-house.  Each  party  believed 
the  members  of  the  other  party  to  be  unprincipled 
scoundrels.  It  is  true  that  not  all  became  such  intense 
partisans,  but  the  majority  did ;  such  is  human  nature. 
This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  when  we  remember  that 
such  a  wise  and  usually  so  just  a  man  as  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson  could  not  believe  a  man  could  be  a  Whig 
without  being  a  scoundrel.  People  were  under  an 
intense  strain ;  every  few  days  news  of  some  more 
or  less  severe  battle  would  be  heralded,  with  hundreds 
or  thousands  of  killed  and  wounded.  Most  people 
had  some  relatives  in  the  army  at  some  time  during 
the  struggle.  The  sufferings  of  those  at  home  were 
almost  as  great  as  of  those  in  the  field.  I  do  not  re- 
member whether  I  attended  one  or  two  terms  of  school 
that  year.  I  think  I  assisted  in  teaching  in  the  academy 
that  fall,  another  young  man  and  I  taking  charge  in 
the  absence  of  the  principal,  Professor  DeFord.  I 
think  it  was  in  September  that  Kirby  Smith  threatened 


40  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

Cincinnati,  and  Gov.  Todd  called  out  the  militia  to 
defend  the  city.  We  received  word  of  the  Governor's 
call  about  sundown,  and  several  of  us  young  men 
rode  over  the  township  to  spread  the  news  that  night. 
We  got  in  about  midnight ;  the  women  sat  up  to  cook 
our  provisions  and  to  make  haversacks  for  us.  We 
were  ordered  to  come  with  three  days'  rations  and  to 
arm  ourselves  with  squirrel  rifles  provided  with  suit- 
able ammunition.  There  was  little  sleeping  done  in 
the  village  that  night.  I  remember  hearing  some 
martial  music  that  night  that  much  impressed  me: 
my  uncle  Ephraim  Harshman  playing  on  my  grand- 
father's old  fife  that  had  done  service  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  a  man  with  him  playing  the  snare-drum 
came  over  the  hill  one-half  mile  south  of  the  village. 
It  was  a  bright  moonlight  night  and  at  that  distance 
the  music  sounded  sweet.  We  boys  felt  somewhat 
serious  as  there  was  no  telling  what  dangers  we  might 
encounter  before  we  saw  home  again.  By  eight  o'clock 
the  next  morning  a  company  of  us  was  at  the  R.  R. 
station  in  Warren,  five  miles  distant,  ready  to  take 
the  train.  A  number  of  other  companies  were  also 
there.  We  boarded  the  train  for  Cleveland  under  the 
command  of  Col.  Opdyke  and  started  on  the  journey 
for  Cincinnati.  We  marched  up  Euclid  Ave.,  Cleve- 
land, after  disembarking,  and  were  halted  on  the  lake 
front  until  time  to  take  the  train  on  the  C.  C.  C.  &  I. 
for  Columbus  and  Cincinnati.  This  was  the  first  time 
I  had  seen  a  city  of  more  than  5,000  inhabitants.  We 
took  a  train  loaded  with  militia  like  ourselves,  and 
started  for  our  destination.  I  was  surprised  to  see 
how  soon  lawless  and  predatory  instincts  were  roused 
in  young  men  of  exemplary  habits  at  home.  We  were 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  41 

not  really  under  military  rule,  we  had  no  inferior 
officers  and  did  about  as  we  pleased.  The  boys  would 
shoot  from  the  windows  at  objects  along  the  railroad, 
and  while  the  train  stopped  for  a  while  at  Springfield 
they  raided  a  peach  orchard  and  did  other  lawless 
acts,  of  little  importance  it  is  true,  but  showing  what 
human  nature  is  when  not  under  restraint.  We  passed 
through  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  the  train  stopped  awhile 
there.  I  thought  it  the  most  beautiful  city  I  had  ever 
seen ;  everything  looked  so  fresh  and  new.  Our  train 
moved  slowly  and  we  got  to  Cincinnati  some  time  in 
the  night  and  were  given  breakfast  the  next  morning 
at  one  of  the  markets  of  the  city.  We  found  no  rebels 
at  Cincinnati  but  the  city  was  filled  with  troops,  most 
of  them  being  militia,  however.  If  Kirby  Smith  had 
been  there  he  would  probably  have  had  lots  of  fun  with 
us  and  our  squirrel  guns.  In  the  afternoon  we  were 
moved  across  the  river  into  Covington,  Ky.  The 
grandest  sight  I  had  yet  seen  was  the  marching  of 
the  troops,  four  abreast,  down  the  bank  of  the  Ohio 
across  the  pontoon  bridge  and  up  the  opposite  bank. 
I  had  never  seen  so  many  people  before.  We  re- 
turned to  Cincinnati  and  started  on  our  return  home. 
Kirby  Smith  had  decamped  and  furnished  us  a  blood- 
less victory.  We  arrived  at  home  without  losing  a 
man  or  gaining  any  military  glory.  During  the  winter 
of  1862-63  I  taught  school  in  the  district  where  I 
first  attended  school.  There  was  a  feud  in  the  district 
partly  on  account  of  political  differences,  so  that  if  a 
teacher  pleased  one  party,  the  other  was  sure  to  be 
displeased.  I  had  some  difficulty  on  this  account, 
but  on  the  whole  got  along  very  well.  In  the  spring 
I  attended  Alleghany  College  in  Meadville,  Pa.  It 


42  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

happened  on  this  wise.  The  college  is  a  Methodist 
institution,  and  in  order  to  raise  an  endowment  fund, 
scholarships  were  sold.  The  Rev.  Joseph  Marvin 
of  Warren,  Ohio,  owned  one  of  these  scholarships, 
entitling  him  to  send  one  student  free  of  tuition,  and 
he  offered  me  the  use  of  this  scholarship.  I  was  now 
of  age ;  up  to  this'  time  I  had  turned  all  my  earnings 
over  to  my  father  and  he  had  supported  me.  The 
last  term  of  school  I  had  taught  was  mostly  after  I 
had  come  of  age,  so  I  had  the  proceeds  on  hand  and 
decided  to  use  them  in  attending  college.  I  did  not 
have  enough  money  to  keep  me  long  in  college ;  how- 
ever, I  had  a  very  pleasant  time  in  school  that  term. 
I  boarded  at  a  farm  house  near  the  city  where  several 
other  students  boarded.  As  good  exercise,  the  college 
authorities  recommended  the  game  of  quoits.  I  was 
passionately  fond  of  that  game,  and  even  to  this  day 
when  I  see  men  pitching  quoits  I  feel  a  strong  desire 
to  engage  in  the  game.  I  had  already  progressed  so 
far  in  mathematics  that  I  did  not  take  that  branch  up, 
but  spent  most  of  my  time  on  Latin  and  Greek.  I 
also  studied  some  of  the  sciences,  among  others, 
Natural  Theology,  which  I  recited  to  Dr.  Wm.  Hunter, 
who  was  professor  of  Hebrew  literature.  He  was  the 
author  of  several  popular  hymns,  or  songs,  and  had 
published  a  volume  of  spiritual  songs  called  Select 
Melodies.  While  I  was  in  college  the  governor  of 
Pennsylvania,  Governor  Curtin,  came  to  Meadville  and 
made  the  students  a  patriotic  speech,  urging  enlistment 
in  the  army.  This  was  a  short  time  before  Lee's 
raid  into  Pennsylvania  and  the  battle  of  Gettysburg. 
I  left  Alleghany  college  at  the  close  of  the  spring 
term,  expecting  to  return  to  it  later,  which  hope  was 
never  fulfilled. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


I  EMIGRATE 

Shortly  after  leaving  college,  in  the  month  of  June, 
1863,  I  started  for  Illinois.  My  intention  was  to 
teach  during  the  coming  winter  term  and  return  to 
college  in  Meadville  the  next  spring.  My  cousin,  J.  J. 
Harshman,  was  travelling  in  the  west  selling  dress 
models,  and  I  had  arranged  to  meet  him  and  travel 
with  him  for  a  while.  I  went  to  Chicago  and  waited 
there  for  a  week,  but  for  some  reason  my  cousin  failed 
to  get  my  letter  and  did  not  meet  me.  Chicago  was 
then  a  place  of  less  than  300,000  inhabitants  and  was 
a  raw  looking  city.  While  waiting  in  Chicago,  I 
traversed  the  city  quite  thoroughly  and  took  walks 
out  into  the  open  country.  A  favorite  place  of  resort 
for  men  was  the  roof  of  the  old  court  house,  on  which 
was  stationed  a  lookout  who  rang  the  fire  alarm  bell 
in  case  of  fire.  The  ascent  was  made  by  means  of 
a  spiral  iron  staircase.  There  were  but  few  street 
cars  and  they  were  horse  cars.  No  grade  had  been 
established  on  many  of  the  streets,  and  one  was  kept 
climbing  up  and  down  steps  as  he  walked  along  the 
sidewalk.  My  money  soon  ran  short  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  seek  employment  or  send  home  for  assistance, 
and  this  last  I  was  unwilling  to  do.  So  I  bought  a 
railroad  ticket  into  the  country,  being  pretty  sure  to 
find  employment  there  in  the  summertime.  I  went 

43 


44  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

on  the  C.  &  A.  out  into  Will  county  and  stopped 
off  at  a  little  station  called  Mokena.  I  went  to  the 
hotel  and  inquired  of  the  proprietor  if  he  knew  where 
I  might  likely  find  employment.  He  directed  me  to 
a  farm,  about  a  mile  from  the  village,  which  was  owned 
by  S.  W.  Allerton  of  Chicago,  but  was  under  the 
management  of  a  man  whose  name  I  have  forgotten. 
It  was  a  large  farm  of  1,000  acres  and  a  number  of 
men  were  employed  on  it.  Having  just  come  from 
college,  I  was  bleached  out  and  my  hands  were  soft 
and  white.  I  had  on  my  best  suit  and  looked  more 
like  a  city  man  than  a  farm  hand.  I  left  my  valise 
at  the  hotel  and  walked  out  to  the  aforesaid  farm, 
and  found  the  manager  working  in  his  garden  at  the 
side  of  the  road.  He  had  his  back  to  me  as  I  ap- 
proached, and  addressed  him  with  the  question,  "  Do 
you  want  a  hand  ?  "  He  straightened  up,  looked  round 
at  me  and  replied  promptly,  "  I  don't  want  you,  you 
are  too  white."  I  assured  him  that  appearances  were 
often  deceitful,  and  his  judgment  too  hasty,  and  that 
I  could  work  if  I  was  white ;  that  I  was  out  of  money 
and  must  have  work.  He  at  length  agreed  to  give  me 
a  trial  and  I  returned  to  the  hotel,  got  my  valise  and 
got  to  the  farm  in  time  for  dinner.  In  the  afternoon 
I  went  to  work  hilling  potatoes.  I  lost  most  of  the 
skin  off  the  inside  of  my  hands  the  first  half  day  I 
worked  and  they  have  never  been  so  soft  since.  I 
went  to  work  the  next  morning  plowing  corn  with  a 
mule  and  a  single  bar  plow.  This  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  June;  in  a  short  time  the  wheat  harvest  was 
on  hand  and  I  was  put  to  work  binding  wheat  after 
a  machine  called  a  "  dropper  "  which  cut  the  wheat 
and  raked  it  off  in  sheaves  to  be  bound.  The  driver 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  45 

would  cut  around  a  square  piece  and  each  binder 
would  bind  one  side  while  the  machine  cut  one  round. 
The  binders,  five  in  number,  would  follow  on  around 
the  square,  the  fifth  man  was  required  to  start  in  the 
second  round.  I  was  a  poor  binder,  having  done  little 
of  that  kind  of  work,  and  if  the  others  had  been  ex- 
perts, I  would  have  fallen  behind,  but,  fortunately 
for  me,  the  other  hands  were  Germans  and  slow 
motioned.  There  was  one  exception ;  one  of  the  men 
was  a  Scotch  shepherd,  about  fifty  years  old,  who  had 
been  in  Australia.  He  took  care  of  the  sheep  on  the 
farm,  and  was  probably  a  good  shepherd;  he  ought 
to  have  been,  as  he  was  good  for  nothing  else.  He 
was  an  oddity,  seemed  stagestruck  and  was  constantly 
ejaculating  sentences  from  plays,  such  as  "  angels  and 
ministers  of  grace,  defend  us."  He  got  most  of  his 
amusement  from  teasing  the  Germans.  One  morning 
the  manager  sent  me  to  bind  some  wheat  that  had 
lain  over  night,  and  the  dew  on  the  straw  caused  the 
skin  on  the  ends  of  my  fingers  to  wear  through  and 
bleed,  and  I  refused  to  bind  any  more  wheat.  I  had 
wages  coming  to  me  and  was  independent.  In 
shocking  some  wheat  one  day  I  saw  my  first  rattle- 
snake. When  I  was  a  young  man  I  preferred  to  work 
in  the  harvest  field  and  hay  field  barefoot,  and  I 
usually  did.  I  was  barefoot  that  day,  and  as  I  picked 
up  a  sheaf  and  turned  round,  I  heard  the  snake  rattle. 
From  the  description  of  a  rattlesnake's  rattle,  which 
I  had  read,  I  recognized  the  sound  instantly  and 
jumped  as  far  as  I  could.  Turning  round  I  saw  the 
snake  slowly  crawling  off.  When  I  returned  to  the 
house  I  put  on  my  boots.  After  working  for  a  few 
days  at  this  place,  I  had  hired  out  by  the  month  at 


46  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

twenty-six  ($26.00)  dollars  for  a  wet  month,  I  worked 
six  weeks  and  lost  one-half  day.  At  the  close  of  wheat 
harvest,  we  went  to  haying.  Here  I  was  at  home.  I 
could  pitch  hay  all  day  onto  a  wagon  and  not  feel 
tired  at  night.  We  cut  one  eighty  acre  field  and  I 
pitched  it  all  onto  the  wagons.  I  pitched  alone  for 
three  teams  hauling  and  stacking  in  the  field,  the  other 
men  were  Germans,  you  remember.  Our  board  was 
rather  inferior,  the  corned  beef  was  sometimes — well 
not  sweet,  and  I  could  not  eat  it,  though  the  Germans 
did  not  mind  it.  I  am  German,  but  was  too  much 
Americanized  to  relish  spoiled  meat.  The  wife  of 
the  manager  was  younger  than  he  and  rather  gay. 
They  had  a  daughter  nearly  grown,  and  a  niece  was 
staying  with  them,  who,  I  understood,  had  been  sent 
from  home  to  keep  her  out  of  mischief,  but  this  was 
likely  to  be  a  difficult  thing  to  do.  The  whole  com- 
munity was  German,  and  Americans  were  likely  to 
find  little  society.  I  went  to  a  religious  meeting  but 
once,  I  think,  in  about  two  months,  the  longest  hiatus 
of  the  kind  in  my  experience  when  I  was  not  confined 
by  sickness.  The  manager  seemed  to  take  a  liking 
to  me,  and  conversed  with  me  on  religious  topics.  He 
was  a  dyspeptic  and  seemed  much  depressed  mentally. 
He  pressed  me  to  remain  with  him,  but  farming  was 
an  avocation  with  me,  not  my  vocation.  While  with 
him,  I  read  with  great  interest  Daubigny's  History  of 
the  Reformation,  which  I  found  in  the  house.  My 
cousin,  P.  A.  Beil  of  Ohio,  followed  me  to  Illinois 
and  got  work  with  a  farmer  two  or  three  miles  away 
and  we  visited  together  on  Sunday.  When  the  haying 
was  finished,  I  resigned  my  position,  being  told  by  the 
manager  that,  unpromising  as  I  seemed  at  the  start, 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  47 

I  had  done  more  work  while  with  him  than  any  other 
man  on  the  farm.  I  boarded  the  C.  &  A.  for  Spring- 
field, where  I  changed  for  Quincy,  arriving  in  that 
city  a  total  stranger.  I  think  my  cousin  accompanied 
me;  if  he  did  not  he  soon  followed  me.  My  first 
business  was  to  secure  a  school  for  the  coming  winter 
term.  This,  I  had  no  trouble  in  doing,  engaging  one 
about  two  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  the  city 
in  Melrose  township.  It  was  still  August  and  the 
school  would  not  open  until  the  first  week  in  October, 
and  it  was  now  a  question  with  me  what  to  do  mean- 
while, as  I  could  not  afford  to  remain  idle  and  on 
expense.  First  I  tried  selling  dress  models  for  cutting 
ladies'  dresses;  but  though  I  had  some  success,  I  de- 
tested the  business  and  soon  quit  it.  I  went  to  a 
farmer  with  whom  I  had  engaged  board  and  lodging 
for  the  winter,  a  Massachusetts  man  named  Jacob 
Perkins,  and  engaged  to  work  for  him  on  his  farm 
until  school  began.  I  purchased  some  suitable  clothes 
of  the  cheapest  kind  and  went  to  work.  I  worked 
barefoot  in  the  field  as  usual,  not  seeing  any  rattle- 
snakes. Before  sunrise  Mr.  Perkins  would  rattle  his 
milk  pails  to  waken  me  and  I  would  go  out  with  him 
to  milk  his  cows.  We  had  early  frosts  that  fall  and 
sometimes  the  ground  would  be  white  as  I  went  out 
to  work  in  my  bare  feet.  You  must  know  that  Eastern 
men,  or  Yankees  as  they  are  called,  never  permit  their 
wives  to  milk  or  "  pail "  the  cows ;  this,  among  them 
is  men's  work.  I  drilled  wheat,  picked  apples,  and  did 
other  seasonable  work.  The  young  ladies  of  the 
neighborhood  would  come  in  to  visit  Mr.  Perkins' 
daughter  and  I  was  introduced  to  several  of  them  as 
the  new  school  teacher  while  dressed  in  my  work 


48  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

clothes  and  in  my  bare  feet.  But  I  will  state  here 
that  I  suffered  for  my  folly  in  exposing  my  feet  to 
the  frost.  The  following  winter  my  feet  perspired 
so  freely  as  to  give  me  great  trouble.  They  ruined 
one  pair  of  boots,  making  them  so  offensive  that  I 
could  not  wear  them,  and  I  was  compelled  to  wear 
the  heaviest  hose  and  heavy  boots  to  be  presentable 
in  company.  I  have  never  gone  barefoot  since.  While 
with  Mr.  Perkins,  I  worked  with  a  negro  from  Mis- 
souri by  the  name  of  John;  he  had  no  patronymic 
or  family  name.  Hundreds  of  these  refugees  were 
crossing  the  Mississippi  into  Illinois  to  escape  slavery. 
There  was  a  camp  of  them  at  Quincy  and  they  were 
fed  by  the  government.  John  was  about  forty-five 
years  old,  and  was  consumed  with  a  desire  to  learn 
to  read.  Among  others  I  became  his  teacher  for 
a  short  time.  John  had  learned  his  letters  but  could 
not  learn  to  pronounce  words ;  he  seemingly  could 
get  no  idea  of  the  connection  between  a  letter  and  its 
proper  sound.  He  was  patient  and  persevering  with- 
out any  result.  To  illustrate  what  I  mean,  I  will 
relate  what  transpired  between  us  when  I  was  striving 
to  teach  and  John  was  struggling  to  learn.  John 
spelled  the  word  G-o-d  but  could  not  pronounce  it. 
I  told  him  that  spelled  "  God."  He  next  spelled  r-o-d. 
"Now,  John/'  said  I,  "What  does  that  spell?"  He 
looked  up  at  me  with  all  the  innocence  of  a  child  and 
replied,  "  I  dun'  no,  I  spects  it  must  spell  hebbin." 
I  resigned  then  and  there  as  John's  teacher.  About 
half  way  between  my  boarding  place  and  the  place 
where  I  taught  was  a  Methodist  chapel  called  Melrose 
chapel.  Here  I  attended  Sunday  school,  preaching 
services  and  prayer  meetings.  I  let  it  be  known  that 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  49 

I  was  a  member  of  that  denomination  and  took  part 
in  the  services.  I  had  determined  in  my  own  mind 
that  I  would  conceal  the  fact  that  I  had  sustained 
any  official  relation  to  the  church.  This  Methodist 
society  was  on  the  Payson  circuit,  and  they  had 
preaching  by  the  pastor  every  alternate  Sunday;  on 
the  intermediate  Sundays  the  local  preachers  usually 
officiated.  The  society  had  two  local  preachers  and 
one  exhorter ;  they  were  men  of  no  special  talent 
and  there  was  no  intense  desire  in  the  congregation 
to  hear  them,  as  they  had  heard  them  often,  and 
consequently  the  preachers  had  no  longing  to  preach 
to  them,  but  found  it  a  task  to  shirk  when  practi- 
cable. One  Sunday  after  Sunday  school,  which  was 
held  before  the  preaching  service,  these  officers  in- 
vited me  to  walk  out  with  them,  and  on  my  doing 
so,  they  told  me  that  they  had  heard  a  rumor  that 
I  was  a  preacher  and  they  wished  me  to  preach 
that  morning.  L  assured  them  that  it  was  a  mistake, 
that  I  was  not  a  preacher.  They  seemed  almost  in- 
credulous and  asked  me  if  I  had  sustained  no  official 
relation  to  the  church,  and  I  was  forced  to  confess 
that  I  was  an  exhorter.  "  Oh,"  they  said,  "  that  is 
the  same  thing,  and  you  must  preach  this  morning." 
I  did  not  feel  free  to  refuse  and  did  the  best  I 
could.  I  was  frequently  afterward  called  upon  to 
exercise  my  talent  during  the  fall  and  winter.  The 
pastor  was  Rev.  Mr.  Wells,  who  was  an  able  preacher, 
but  failed  as  a  pastor  because  of  his  inability  to  adapt 
himself  to  the  people.  He  afterwards  left  the  min- 
istry and  practiced  law.  His  wife  was  a  talented 
woman,  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Dr.  Lemon.  They  had 
an  interesting  family,  well  trained,  and  speaking  the 


50  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

most  correct  English  of  any  children  I  ever  knew. 
I  much  enjoyed  my  association  with  this  cultivated 
family.     I  commenced  teaching  the  first  week  in  Oc- 
tober and  had  a  successful  school.    I  enjoyed  teaching 
this  school  more  than  any  other  I  had  ever  taught. 
My  cousin,  P.  A.  Beil,  had  secured  a  school  in  the 
northern  part  of  Adams  county  and   I  visited  him 
a  time  or  two  during  the  fall  and  winter,  one  time 
on  an  invitation  to  preach  at  a  neighboring  chapel. 
I  found  kind  friends  among  my  patrons.    There  were 
two  brothers,  Joseph   and  Jacob   Hanks,   who   were 
cousins  of  Abraham  Lincoln.    Jacob  was  a  local  M.  E. 
preacher  and  Joseph  was  a  leader  in  singing.     There 
was  also  a  family  by  the  name  of  Reeder,  the  members 
of  which  were  my  special  friends.     The  father  was 
dead,  leaving  quite  a  large  estate,   which   was  now 
divided  among  the  children  except  to  two,  who  were 
minors,  and  who  attended  my  school.     There   were 
five  brothers,  three  of  whom  were  Methodists,  and 
six  sisters,  two  married  and  four  at  home.     I  have 
not   seen   any  of  them   for  many  years,  but   I   shall 
never  forget  their  kindness  to  me,  a  stranger.     The 
old  gentleman   with   whom   I   boarded,   Mr.   Perkins, 
was,  as  I  have  said,  a  Massachusetts  Yankee,  and  in 
some  respects  an  oddity.     When  he  read  his  news- 
paper, in  place  of  using  the  lamplight,  he  would  place 
a  candlestick  containing  a  lighted  candle  in  the  crook 
of  his  left  arm  and  read  by  the  light  of  it.     He  was 
an  'enthusiastic   and   inveterate   euchre    player.      The 
young  man  who  taught  in  the  district  north  of  mine, 
Lewis  Q.  Turner,  by  name,  also  boarded  with  Mr. 
Perkins  and  could  play  euchre:     They  played  every 
night  when  Mr.  Turner  was  in  the  house,  and  many 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  51 

mornings  before  Mr.  Turner  left  for  school.  The 
latter  was  courting  the  old  gentleman's  daughter  and 
was  naturally  complaisant.  Sometimes  Mr.  Perkins' 
nephew,  Nat  Pease,  who  lived  "nearby  would  come 
in  to  spend  the  evening  and  then  he  and  Miss  Perkins 
would  take  a  hand  in  the  game.  I  learned  how  to 
play  euchre  without  handling  a  card.  It  was  during 
this  winter  that  occurred  that  memorable  storm  on 
December  31st,  1863.  It  was  on  Friday,  and  I  re- 
member that  I  froze  my  right  ear  in  going  to  school 
that  morning.  It  snowed  and  stormed  all  day,  con- 
stantly growing  colder,  until  when  school  was  dis- 
missed at  night  the  roads  were  drifted  full  of  snow 
in  places,  and  the  parents  came  to  take  their  children 
home.  I  stayed  all  night  at  Mrs.  Reeder's,  who  lived 
near  the  schoolhouse.  The  next  morning,  January 
1st,  1864,  it  was  clear,  but  the  mercury  was  20  degrees 
or  more  below  zero,  and  many  people  were  frozen 
to  death  throughout  the  country.  In  the  spring  of 
1864  I  went  on  my  first  duck  hunt  which  was  also 
my  last.  The  ducks  were  plentiful  on  the  Mississippi 
bottoms  and  several  of  my  friends  who  were  experi- 
enced hunters  took  me  with  them  on  a  hunt.  There 
were  not  shot-guns  enough  to  go  round  so  I  was 
provided  with  a  rifle.  Of  course,  I  could  not  shoot 
ducks  with  a  rifle,  but  it  is  probable  that  I  would  have 
done  no  better  with  a  shot-gun.  I  think  I  probably 
furnished  good  sport  for  the  ducks,  but  I  got  none 
myself  and  I  returned  home  very  tired  and  hungry. 
Mrs.  Perkins  furnished  me  a  lunch  of  baked  beans 
and  corn  bread ;  I  was  not  usually  fond  of  either  of 
them,  but  they  tasted  unusually  good  to  me  then, 
proving  that  hunger  is  really  the  best  sauce. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


I  BECOME  A  METHODIST  PREACHER. 

When  my  school  closed,  I  was  given  license  to 
preach  by  the  Quarterly  Conference  and  employed  as 
junior  preacher  on  Payson  circuit  on  which  Mr.  Wells 
was  preacher  in  charge.  I  procured  a  horse  and  high 
wheeled  sulky  with  which  to  travel  the  circuit,  several 
appointments  at  different  points.  The  village  of 
Payson  was  headquarters  for  the  circuit  and  the 
preacher  in  charge  lived  in  the  parsonage  there.  I 
suppose  my  efforts  at  preaching  during  the  winter 
had  been  rather  acceptable  or  they  would  not  have 
employed  me  in  this  capacity.  Well,  I  did  the  best 
I  could  at  preaching,  though,  no  doubt,  my  efforts 
were  quite  crude.  I  was  a  little  t  past  twenty-two 
years  of  age  at  this  time  and  had  been  an  'exhorter 
for  four  years  or  more.  I  never  possessed  the  art 
of  drawing  out  a  discourse.  My  sermons  had  neither 
exordiums  nor  perorations,  I  plunged  at  once  into 
my  subject  and  ended  with  a  suddenness  that  startled 
people.  I  could  not  talk  on  and  on  when  I  had 
finished.  Of  course,  I  afterwards  learned  to  finish 
a  little  more  gracefully,  but  have  not  yet  learned  to 
talk  when  I  have  nothing  to  say.  That  is  one  merit 
I  may  claim  for  my  preaching:  I  know  when  I  am 
through  with  a  subject.  When  my  cousin  closed  his 
school  in  the  spring,  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  I  was 

52 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  53 

left  alone.  At  the  close  of  the  conference  year  I 
was  persuaded  by  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Griggs- 
ville  district,  the  Rev.  J.  P.  Dimmitt,  to  take  a  recom- 
mendation for  admission  to  the  Illinois  conference.  I 
did  not  wish  to  do  this  because  I  desired  to  finish 
my  course  in  college.  He  thought,  however,  that  he 
could  get  me  a  place  where  I  could  preach  and  also 
attend  college ;  and  it  was  my  understanding  that  if 
he  could  not  obtain  such  an  appointment,  he  was  to 
withhold  my  recommendation  for  admission.  The 
conference  met  in  Danville,  Illinois,  in  August  or 
September,  1864.  As  I  was  waiting  to  learn  what 
Mr.  Dimmitt  would  obtain  for  me,  I  did  not  go  before 
the  committee  for  the  examination  of  candidates  for. 
admission  to  conference.  But  after  that  committee 
had  adjourned  its  sittings,  without  consulting  me,  Mr. 
Dimmitt  handed  in  to  the  conference  my  recommen- 
dation for  admission,  and  without  examination,  on 
his  bare  recommendation,  I  was  admitted  as  a  pro- 
bationer in  the  conference.  The  rules  of  the  denomi- 
nation require  two  years'  probation  with  annual  ex- 
aminations before  admission  to  full  membership  in 
the  conference.  I  was  not  only  admitted  as  a  pro- 
bationer, but  was  appointed  preacher  in  charge  of 
Virginia  circuit.  This  was  quite  a  responsibility  for 
a  young  man  not  yet  twenty-three  years  old.  I  was 
much  disappointed,  but  concluded  to  accept  the  ap- 
pointment. Before  going  to  my  appointment,  I  de- 
cided to  visit  my  father  in  Ohio.  While  there,  the 
state  election  took  place  and  my  Democratic  friends 
insisted  on  my  casting  my  vote.  I  did  not  wish  to  do 
so,  but  could  find  no  valid  excuse  for  refusing  unless 
I  disclaimed  being  longer  a  Democrat.  This,  I  was 


54  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

not  willing  to  do,  although  I  could  no  longer  approve 
the  conduct  of  the  party  in  opposing  the  civil  war ;  but 
I  was  not  ready  to  desert  the  party  as  yet.  In  fact, 
I  had,  to  a  large  extent,  lost  my  partisanship,  being 
disgusted  with  the  extremists  in  both  parties.  The 
Democratic  candidate  for  Governor  was  Clement  L. 
Valandigham,  who  had  been  sent  through  the  Union 
lines  into  the  Confederacy  by  order  of  President  Lin- 
coln because  of  his  alleged  sympathy  with  the  re- 
bellion. He  had  returned  to  Ohio  by  way  of  Canada 
and  had  been  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Demo- 
crats. While  I  felt  that  he  had  been  unfairly  dealt 
with,  and  that  Mr.  Lincoln's  act  in  sending  him  out 
of  the  country  was  tyrannical  and  unwarranted,  yet 
I  did  not  approve  of  his  conduct,  and  did  not  care 
to  vote  for  him,  but  rather  than  disappoint  my  friends, 
I  did  so.  He  was  overwhelmingly  defeated  by  Gov. 
Brough,  who  received  the  largest  majority  ever  given 
in  the  state  up  to  that  time.  This  was  the  first  vote 
I  had  ever  cast,  and  I  have  no  special  reason  to  be 
proud  of  it.  I  returned  to  Illinois  and  went  to  my 
charge  on  Virginia  circuit.  On  the  return  trip  my 
trunk  got  lost  and  I  did  not  recover  it  for  a  month. 
My  best  suit  of  clothes  was  in  the  trunk  and  I  was 
compelled  to  introduce  myself  to  my  parishioners  in 
my  everyday  clothes.  There  were  four  pleaching 
points,  or  appointments,  to  use  the  Methodist  language. 
One  Sunday  I  would  preach  morning  and  night  in 
Virginia;  the  next  Sunday,  I  would  preach  in  the 
morning  at  Griggs  Chapel,  on  the  Sangamon  bottom, 
and  at  two  different  schoolhouses  along  the  bluff  at 
different  points,  in  the  afternoon.  When  the  days 
were  long  enough,  I  would  return  to  Virginia  the 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  55 

same  day  pretty  thoroughly  exhausted.  I  went  to 
these  appointments  on  horseback.  I  boarded  with 
Brother  VanEaton,  an  old  wheel  horse  in  the  church, 
and  the  leading  man  in  the  society  in  Virginia ;  in  fact, 
he  ran  things  pretty  much  to  please  himself.  He  was 
a  zealous  Methodist  and  a  good  man,  according  to 
his  light.  He  had  an  unusual  physical  infirmity;  he 
would  go  to  sleep  almost  immediately  on  sitting  down, 
except  at  table.  When  listening  to  preaching,  he  was 
continually  nodding  and  waking  up,  yet  he  seemed 
to  hear  all  the  sermon.  My  Presiding  Elder  was  the 
Rev.  Hardin  Wallace,  a  minister  of  slender  abilities, 
but  of  great  industry  and  zeal,  and  who  had  been 
unusually  successful  as  a  revivalist.  I  shall  never 
forget  the  first  sermon  I  heard  him  preach.  It  was 
at  a  quarterly  meeting  on  Sunday  morning  before 
communion  service.  It  was  on  family  government 
and  was  full  of  humor  and  wit,  and  I  could  not  resist 
the  inclination  to  more  than  smile;  in  fact,  it  con- 
vulsed me  with  laughter,  much  to  my  shame,  as  I  sat 
in  the  pulpit  behind  him.  He  spoke  of  how  parents 
would  dispute  and  quarrel  in  the  presence  of  their 
children,  one  asserting  that  a  trivial  event  happened  on 
Monday  while  the  other  contended  that  it  was  on 
Tuesday  until  it  made  the  listener  feel  like  the  old 
German  travelling  in  Virginia,  who  coming  to  the 
hot  springs,  stopped  his  team  and  leaving  his  son, 
John,  to  hold  the  horses,  took  his  bucket  and  went  to 
the  spring  to  get  water  for  them.  Being  greatly 
alarmed  and  surprised  at  finding  the  water  hot,  he 
started  back  to  the  wagon  waving  his  hand  and  calling 
out,  "  Trive  on  Sc.hon,  trive  on  Schon,  hell  iss  not  von 
mile  from  here."  It  seemed  to  me  the  most  inappro- 


56  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

priate  sermon  for  the  solemn  occasion  that  I  had  ever 
heard.  As  I  became  acquainted  with  the  people  of 
Virginia,  I  entered  into  the  social  life  of  the  place  so 
far  as  I  thought  it  proper.  As  I  loved  music  I  joined 
a  glee  club  which  was  composed  of  some  of  the  best 
young  people  of  the  town.  Brother  VanEaton  had  a 
daughter  at  home  who  introduced  me  into  young  so- 
ciety. She  was  at  this  time  affianced  to  Lieut.  Thomas 
I.  Berry,  who  was  a  prisoner  in  Andersonville  prison  in 
the  South,  and  who  nearly  lost  his  life  there.  At  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War  they  were  married  and  he 
afterwards  graduated  from  Northwestern  University, 
and  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  and  became  the  Rev. 
Thomas  L.  Berry,  D.D.,  and  President  of  Iowa  Wes- 
leyan  University  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  he  died. 
Not  long  after  his  death,  his  widow  fell  on  an  icy  pave- 
ment, struck  her  head  against  the  curbstone  and  was 
instantly  killed.  Another  of  my  young  friends  in 
Virginia,  Archie  Campbell,  enlisted  just  before  the 
close  of  the  war  and  was  drowned  in  the  Mississippi 
river  by  the  sinking  of  the  steamboat  on  which  his 
company  was  embarked.  Mr.  John  Prince,  a  fine 
young  man,  was  the  principal  of  an  academy  in  the 
town  which  was  controlled  by  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterians. This  denomination  was  rather  the  leading 
one  in  the  place.  He  was  married  during  the  year  to 
a  Miss  Maggie  Epler  and  chose  me  as  best  man  with 
Miss  Mary  Dwelle  as  bridesmaid.  I  had  ordered  a 
new  broadcloth  coat  for  the  occasion,  but  shortly  be- 
fore the  nuptials,  I  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  on  a  slip- 
pery crossing  and  make  a  short  rent  in  the  knee  of  my 
best  trousers.  I  had  it  mended,  but  it  could  still  be 
seen  on  close  inspection.  Miss  Dwelle  was  mischie- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  57 

vous,  and  persisted  in  laughing  at  my  wounded  trou- 
sers. She  herself  was  resplendent  in  a  new  silk  dress — 
made  out  of  one  of  her  stepmother's  old  ones,  but  I 
did  not  laugh  at  her.  One  of  my  parishioners  was  a 
Mr.  Randall,  who  was  proprietor  of  the  only  lumber 
yard  in  the  town.  He  was  an  Eastern  man  and  his 
wife  was  an  Eastern  woman  and  niece  of  Bishop 
Edmund  Janes.  She  was  a  very  neat  housekeeper  and 
a  good  cook,  but  very  slow  about  it.  I  remember  how 
hungry  I  would  get  before  dinner  was  ready  when  I 
dined  with  them.  There  was  very  little  silver  seen 
on  the  tables  of  the  plain  people  in  those  days  and  I 
think  Mrs.  Randall's  table  was  the  only  one  on  the 
circuit  on  which  I  found  silver  knives  and  forks.  A 
year  or  two  later,  when  I  was  in  college,  I  was  scan- 
dalized and  felt  insulted  by  a  remark  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Sanders,  who  was  a  professor  in  the  institution,  Illi- 
nois College.  Speaking  in  class  one  day  of  certain 
persons,  he  said,  "  being  civilized  people,  of  course 
they  had  silver  knives  and  forks,"  and  I  thought  the 
remark  unwarranted.  Of  course,  being  without  proper 
forks,  people  ate  with  their  knives,  but  I  could  not 
think  this  marked  them  as  barbarians.  The  old  school 
Presbyterians  had  a  small  society  in  Virginia.  Their 
minister,  I  do  not  now  recall  his  name,  took  a  notion 
in  the  spring  of  1865  that  he  wanted  to  visit  the  army 
in  the  service  of  the  Christian  Commission.  He  had 
a  large  house  in  which  he  kept  a  miniature  Young 
Ladies'  Seminary,  and  some  of  the  young  ladies 
boarded  and  roomed  in  the  house.  The  school  was 
closed,  but  some  few  of  the  young  ladies  remained. 
His  wife  was  not  willing  to  stay  without  a  man  in 
the  house,  and  for  some  reason,  her  choice  fell  on 


58  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

me.  She  said  if  he  could  get  me  to  stay  in  the 
house  he  might  go  on  his  mission.  I  felt  somewhat, 
doubtful  of  the  propriety  of  the  thing  asked  of  me, 
though  I  wished  to  accommodate,  and  besides  it  was 
to  my  advantage,  financially,  as  I  would  get  board  and 
lodging  free.  So  I  mentioned  the  matter  in  the  family 
of  Brother  VanEaton,  knowing  that  they  would  be  free 
to  express  their  disapproval  if  they  saw  anything 
amiss  in  the  affair.  As  they  said  nothing  in  disap- 
proval of  the  project,  I  promised  to  stay  in  the  min- 
ister's family  during  his  absence,  and  did  so.  Though 
nothing  was  ever  said  about  the  matter,  I  have  since 
thought  it  was  not  prudent  for  me  to  do  as  I  did 
in  the  case ;  it  might  have  caused  invidious  remarks 
and  suspicions.  A  minister  of  the  gospel  cannot  be 
too  careful  of  his  conduct,  to  avoid  all  appearance  of 
evil.  I  seemed  to  be  quite  successful  in  my  ministry 
so  far  as  pleasing  the  people  was  concerned.  No 
fault  was  found  with  me,  either  as  a  preacher  or  a 
man ;  but  I  accomplished  nothing,  so  far  as  I  could 
see,  in  saving  souls.  No  one  was  converted  or  added 
to  the  societies  under  my  charge.  I  began  a  series 
of  meetings  in  Virginia  during  the  winter  but  .an  epi- 
demic of  small-pox  breaking  out  in  the  town,  the 
meeting  houses  were  closed  and  the  work  hindered. 
I  did  not  begin  any  revival  meetings  at  any  other 
point.  As  to  my  own  personal  religious  experience, 
I  was  passing  through  a  crisis ;  I  was  not  satisfied 
with  my  experience  or  with  my  work.  I  had  a  keen 
sense  of  unfitness  for  my  work,  and  it  seemed  to  me 
that  my  audiences  could  not  but  realize  my  condition, 
and  I  felt  abashed  before  them.  My  sermons  seemed 
to  me  to  be  weak  and  inferior,  and  I  was  ashamed  of 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  59 

them.  My  life  appeared  to  me  so  imperfect  that 
I  thought  my  hearers  must  think  of  it  when  they 
saw  me  in  the  pulpit.  I  strove  to  live  an  exemplary 
life,  but  it  seemed  to  me  the  harder  I  strove  the  less 
I  succeeded.  I  often  wet  my  pillow  with  my  tears 
as  I  reflected  on  my  failures ;  I  seemed  either  too 
solemn  or  too  gay  in  society;  I  could  not  hold  the 
golden  mean  between  the  two.  I  was  learning  my 
own  helplessness  and  folly  and  ignorance.  I  said 
nothing  of  these  experiences  to  any  one,  for  I  knew 
no  one  to  turn  to  for  comfort.  Sometimes  I  would 
be  greatly  drawn  out  after  God  and  I  would  feel 
my  zeal  quickened,  but  soon  I  would  fall  back  into 
spiritual  lethargy  again.  I  strove  until  I  became  dis- 
couraged and  was  in  great  danger  of  giving  up  the 
struggle  and  of  coming  to  the  same  conclusion  as 
the  man  did  who  buried  his  talent  in  the  earth:  that 
the  Lord  required  impossible  things  of  His  people. 
I  began  to  doubt,  or  try  to  doubt,  my  call  to  the 
ministry.  As  I  lacked  "  fruits,"  one  of  Mr.  Wesley's 
proofs  of  a  divine  call,  I  surmised  there  might  be 
some  mistake  in  my  case.  Then  worldly  ambition 
came  in  to  draw  me  off  from  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
I  knew  there  was  more  chance  to  gain  reputation  in 
the  practice  of  the  law,  to  say  nothing  of  more  wealth. 
But  with  all  my  efforts  to  shake  off  my  sense  of  a 
duty  to  preach,  I  could  not  succeed.  Then  I  tem- 
porized: I  could  preach  as  a  local  preacher  while 
making  the  law  my  vocation ;  preaching  could  be 
merely  an  avocation.  I  finally  decided  at  all  events, 
to  leave  the  conference  and  locate.  I  told  my  Pre- 
siding Elder  that  I  doubted  my  call,  and  meant  to 
locate.  He  did  not  seem  to  be  overwhelmingly  im- 


60  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

pressed  with  my  duty  to  preach.  At  all  events,  he 
did  not  press  me  to  continue  in  the  work,  and  said 
I  was  the  one  to  know  about  the  call.  He  said  if 
I  decided  to  give  up  preaching,  at  which  he  thought 
I  would  succeed,  that  I  should  come  down  to  Jackson- 
ville and  take  up  law  or  medicine:  that  I  would  suc- 
ceed in  either.  When  the  Presbyterians  of  Virginia 
learned  that  I  thought  of  leaving  the  Methodist  pulpit, 
they  invited  me  to  fill  their  pulpit,  which  was  then 
vacant.  I  had  no  inclination  to  do  that,  however, 
though  I  appreciated  the  compliment.  I  was  a  loyal 
Methodist,  and  if  I  would  not  preach  for  the.  Metho- 
dists, I  would  not  preach  for  any  other  sect.  In 
April  1865,  while  I  was  in  Virginia,  President  Lincoln 
was  assassinated.  He  was  buried  at  Springfield  and 
I  attended  his  funeral  there.  I  had  never  seen  him 
in  life,  but  I  saw  him  in  his  coffin.  The  night  before 
the  funeral,  I  walked  the  streets  of  Springfield  unable 
to  find  even  a  chair  in  any  hotel  in  the  city.  I  saw 
him  carried  from  the  old  State  House  where  he  had 
lain  in  state,  to  the  hearse,  while  the  "  Dead  March 
in  '  Saul '  "  was  played  by  the  St.  Louis  Silver  Cornet 
Band  and  a  large  choir  sang  the  tune  to  the  hymn 
"  Children  of  the  Heavenly  King,"  the  grandest  music 
I  had  ever  heard;  it  fairly  made  my  hair  stand  on 
end.  I  heard  Bishop  Simpson's  oration  at  the  tomb, 
but  was  most  too  tired  to  enjoy  it  or  appreciate  it. 

During  the  summer  of  1865  I  attended  the  State 
Sunday  School  Convention,  where  I  heard  Philip 
Phillips  sing.  He  sang  more  than  once  in  my  hearing, 
the  song  "Your  Mission,"  which  President  Lincoln 
asked  him  to  repeat  when  he  sang  in  Washington. 
He  had  a  sweet  voice,  and  accompanied  his  singing 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  61 

on  an  organ.  At  the  close  of  the  conference  year,  I 
resigned  from  the  Conference  and  took  the  relation 
of  local  preacher  again.  I  returned  to  Quincy  and 
engaged  to  teach  the  same  school  that  I  had  taught 
two  years  previously.  I  intended  to  take  up  the 
study  of  law,  and  visited  the  various  law  offices  in 
Quincy  to  borrow  a  copy  of  Blackstone's  Commen- 
taries, but  I  failed  to  find  a  copy  that  I  could  get. 
I  then  tried  the  book  stores  to  purchase  a  copy,  but 
with  no  better  success.  My  way  seemed  to  be  hedged 
up  for  the  time,  and  I  was  not  sure  enough  of  my 
ground  to  push  matters  very  hard;  I  feared  that  I 
was  displeasing  God.  I  concluded  to  let  the  matter 
rest  for  the  time  until  I  could  feel  more  satisfied 
concerning  my  future  course.  I  went  on  with  my 
school  and  enjoyed  teaching.  I  had  secured  board 
with  Jacob  H.  Bishop,  whose  wife  was  Salina  Reeder. 
They  were  Methodists  and  very  congenial  people.  I 
got  along  smoothly  until  winter  came  on  and  I  learned 
that  the  travelling  preacher,  Rev.  John  Sargent,  was 
intending  to  start  a  series  of  meetings  ere  long  at 
Melrose  Chapel.  This  prospect  made  it  necessary 
for  me  to  come  to  some  conclusion  with  respect  to 
my  future  course.  I  did  not  feel  that  I  could  go 
into  the  revival  meetings  with  the  matter  undecided. 
At  this  juncture  I  received  a  letter  from  my  aunt,  my 
mother's  youngest  sister,  upbraiding  me  for  giving 
up  the  ministry.  She  charged  me  with  pride  and 
worldly  ambition,  declaring  that  I  thought  the  min- 
istry too  small  a  thing  for  me.  My  conscience  could 
not  clear  itself  of  the  accusations.  One  evening  after 
school  I  felt  that  the  matter  must  be  decided  at  once; 
that  I  had  come  to  the  parting  of  the  ways,  and  must 


62  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

take  one  road  or  the  other.  When  I  faced  the  matter 
squarely,  I  saw  that  I  must  devote  myself  to  the  min- 
istry or  forfeit  the  favor  of  God  and  lose  my  soul; 
this  fact  was  quite  clear  to  my  mind.  Of  course, 
no  sane  man  could  hesitate  in  making  a  choice  be- 
tween these  two  contingencies.  I  said  to  the  Lord, 
"  O  well,  if  that  is  the  only  alternative,  I  will  preach, 
but  I  think  it  hard  that  I  should  have  my  life  work 
imposed  on  me  without  having  any  choice  in  the 
matter."  Then  I  said  to  myself  that  I  would  take 
my  time  about  preparing  to  preach.  I  resolved  that 
I  would  finish  my  college  course  and  then  take  a 
course  in  a  theological  seminary.  If  I  had  to  preach, 
I  would  get  all  the '  advantages  possible.  But  soon 
my  hard  heart  began  to  soften;  the  Lord  was  won- 
derfully patient  with  my  stubbornness  and  did  not 
take  His  Holy  Spirit  from  me.  As  I  began  sub^ 
missively  to  accept  my  calling,  I  began  more  and  more 
to  feel  my  unfitness  for  the  great  work  before  me. 
Then  I  said,  "  Lord  if  I  must  preach  the  gospel,  give 
me  a  fitness  for  the  task ;  I  have  done  no  good  so  far, 
give  me  fruit  of  my  ministry."  Then  the  Lord  began 
to  draw  me' out  after  Himself.  I  felt  that  I  needed 
purity  of  heart,  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that 
I  might  have  power  in  preaching.  The  revival  meet- 
ings began  and  continued  two  weeks  under  the  labors 
of  the  circuit  preacher,  then  he  went  to  another  point 
and  left  the  meetings  to  be  conducted  by  the  local 
talent.  As  soon  as  the  meetings  began,  I  began  to 
talk  in  the  social  meetings  about  my  need  of  salvation 
from  all  sin,  and  to  pray  for  holiness  of  heart.  The 
Lord  greatly  drew  me  out  for  this  grace.  I  knew  no 
one  to  whom  to  go  for  counsel.  There  was  a  holiness 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  63 

man  in  Quincy,  a  local  preacher,  Warrington,  by  name, 
who  afterwards  became  a  travelling  preacher,  who 
came  out  to  the  meetings  and  spoke  on  the  subject  of 
Entire  Sanctification ;  but  there  was  a  harshness  and 
censoriousness  in  his  spirit  that  repelled  and  preju- 
diced me,  so  that  I  got  no  help  from  him.  The  circuit 
preacher  had  been  a  chaplain  in  the  army  and  seemed 
quite  unspiritual  to  me,  and  I  got  no  help  from  him. 
My  talk  on  heart-holiness  had  a  marked  influence 
on  others,  though  I  did  not  use  exhortations,  but 
spoke  only  of  my  own  needs.  The  meetings  became 
unusually  spiritual  and  powerful.  When  the  preacher 
in  charge  left  the  meeting  in  charge  of  the  local 
preachers,  there  was  no  one  responsible  for  its  con- 
duct. The  older  preachers  would  each  endeavor  to 
put  the  duty  of  preaching  upon  the  others,  and  when 
they  could  not  settle  the  matter  satisfactorily  among 
themselves,  they  would  ask  me  to  preach  and  I  never 
refused  to  do  it.  I  never  put  myself  forward,  but 
if  they  did  not  wish  me  to  officiate,  it  was  incumbent 
on  them  not  to  ask  me.  I  had  two  reasons  for  this 
conduct :  in  the  first  place,  I  could  not,  in  conscience, 
refuse  to  preach  when  the  opportunity  was  given, 
if  I  was  able  to  do  so ;  secondly,  I  knew  the  congre-  ' 
gation  did  not  wish  to  hear  the  other  men,  and  I  felt 
responsible  for  the  success  of  the  meeting.  So  it 
turned  out  that  I  did  the  most  of  the  preaching.  Al-' 
though  they  asked  me  to  do  so,  yet  this  caused  a 
little  jealousy  in  the  other  preachers  toward  me,  which 
caused  me  great  pain.  The  meetings  grew  in  interest 
and  a  number  of  persons  professed  conversion,  among 
them  many  of  my  pupils.  Then  unusual  manifesta- 
tions began  to  appear  among  the  converts.  The  first 


64  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

one  affected  was  a  young  man  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
old.  He  was  of  an  irreligious  family  of  rather  ig- 
norant people,  and  undoubtedly  had  never  heard  of 
such  manifestations  of  religious  excitement.  He 
would  become  apparently  unconscious  and  rigid  and 
would  remain  in  this  state  for  a  considerable  time. 
Soon  the  contagion  spread  to  some  of  the  other  con- 
verts, but  to  none  of  the  older  people.  One  young 
woman,  in  particular,  would  lie  for  hours  with  eyes 
turned  upward,  an  appearance  of  ecstacy  upon  her 
countenance,  able  to  hear  what  transpired  around 
her,  but  unable  to  speak.  She  would  be  rigid  as  a 
log.  She  endeavored  to  avoid  these  trances  but  would 
be  overtaken  against  her  will.  Sometimes,  being  worn 
out  with  watching  with  her,  we  would  take  her  to 
some  house  and  put  her  to  bed.  She  would  be  all 
right  in  the  morning.  These  were  all  the  phenomena 
of  the  kind  I  ever  witnessed.  No  meetings  I  have 
held  since  have  developed  them  or  anything  akin  to 
them.  It  seemed  to  be  a  cataleptic  state  superinduced 
by  intense  mental  concentration.  The  strange  thing 
about  it  is  that  it  should  have  become  epidemic.  But 
history  proves  that  such  religious  manifestations,  or 
manifestations  accompanying  religious  movements, 
often  become  epidemic,  extending  sometimes  over 
large  sections  of  country.  They  are  usually  confined 
to  the  uncultivated  classes,  who  are  more  under  the 
control  of  their  emotions  than  others.  Mr.  Wesley 
saw  some  such  manifestations  accompanying  his  labors 
and  was  in  doubt  concerning  their  origin.  He  said 
they  might  be  from  God,  they  might  be  from  nature, 
they  might  be  from  the  devil.  My  opinion  is  that  they 
are  natural  physical  phenomena  and  prove  nothing 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  65 

one  way  or  the  other  respecting  the  spiritual  condition 
of  the  subject  of  them.  Notwithstanding  my  efforts 
after  a  higher  religious  experience,  I  seemed  to  make 
no  progress,  though  I  felt  much  quickened  and  stirred 
up.  I  needed  encouragement  and  instruction,  and  was 
in  great  danger  of  falling  back  into  indifference. 
When  my  school  closed  in  the  spring  of  1866,  which 
was  the  centenary  year  of  Methodism  in  America,  I 
was  employed  as  centenary  agent  for  Quincy  College. 
My  duties  were  to  appeal  to  Methodists  for  gifts  of 
money  to  endow  the  college.  I  tried  the  agency  for 
a  month,  but  did  not  like  the  work;  I  found  myself 
a  poor  beggar,  and  wished  to  resign.  The  Rev.  T.  J. 
Bryant,  who  was  travelling  the  Barry  circuit  desired 
the  place  I  filled,  so  I  changed  places  with  him  by 
consent  of  all  concerned  and  became  preacher  in  charge 
of  the  Barry  circuit  for  the  remainder  of  the  con- 
ference year.  I  made  a  contract  with  the  Quarterly 
Conference  of  the  circuit  as  to  the  salary  I  should 
receive,  the  only  time  in  my  life  that  I  have  done  so, 
and  then  they  failed  to  keep  their  contract  with  me, 
the  only  time  that  I  ever  failed  to  get  all  that  was 
promised  me.  I  went  to  Barry,  Pike  county,  111.,  to 
enter  upon  my  duties,  and  secured  board  in  the  family 
of  Wm.  Jennings,  whose  wife  was  a  daughter  of 
Deacon  Hoyt,  a  local  preacher  on  the  charge.  Mr. 
Jennings  kept  a  small  grocery  store  in  Barry.  He 
had  been  in  California  during  the  excitement  over 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  that  country,  but  had  returned 
without  a  fortune.  The  most  prominent  family  in  the 
Methodist  circles  in  Barry  was  that  of  Judge  Grubb. 
The  judge  was  an  aged  man,  a  lawyer,  who  had  sob- 
ered down  and  become  religious  in  his  old  age  after 


66  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

a  somewhat  notorious  and  wild  career  as  a  young 
man.     I  did  not  succeed  in  becoming  much  acquainted 
with  him.     He  had  an  interesting  family,  rather  re- 
fined and  cultivated,  and  I  enjoyed  their  society.     I 
have  little  recollection  of  other  people  in  the  town. 
The  circuit  had  five  appointments  or  preaching  places. 
The  first  Sunday,  I  preached  in  Barry  morning  and 
night.    The  second  Sunday  at  a  point  in  the  country  in 
the  morning  and  at  Barry  at  night;  and  on  the  third 
Sunday  at  three  different  points  in  the  country,  Mt. 
Carmel  chapel  in  the  morning,  a  schoolhouse  at  2  :30 
in  the  afternoon,  and  at  another  chapel  at  4:00  that 
evening.     I  enjoyed  the  work  very  well  and  seemed 
to  be  acceptable  as  a  preacher.     I  had  quite  a  repu- 
tation as  a  Sunday  school  man,  being  accustomed  to 
training  the  children  in  singing.     This  was  my  special 
recommendation  to  the  church  at  Barry  and  they  told 
me  that  I  was  a  much  better  preacher  than  they  had 
expected.     This  was  encouraging,  as  I  had  made  no 
pretenses  to  unusual  preaching  ability.     I  had  a  novel 
experience  while  on  this  charge.     The  former  pastor, 
Rev.  T.  J.  Bryant,  who  still  occupied  the  parsonage  at 
Barry,  had  a  difficulty  with  one  of  the  local  preachers, 
an   Englishman,   whose   name   I   have   forgotten,   and 
brought  charges  against  him   for  slander,  which  ac- 
cusations had  to  be  enquired  into  by  an  ecclesiastical 
court.     This  court  consisted  of   a  committee  of   six 
local  preachers,  and  it  was  my  duty,  as  preacher  in 
charge,   to   summon   and   convene   this   court   and   to 
preside  over  its  deliberations.     As  I  had  never  seen 
a  church  trial,  and  knew  nothing  of  ecclesiastical  law, 
or  the  proceedings  of  such  a  court,  I  naturally  felt 
much    embarrassed,    and    incompetent    to    preside    as 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  67 

judge  in  such  a  case.  Happily  for  me,  before  the 
proceedings  had  gone  far,  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
district,  the  Rev.  Emmor  Elliot,  came  to  my  relief, 
and  took  charge  of  matters.  The  local  preacher  was 
found  guilty  and  excluded  from  the  church.  Whether 
he  had  slandered  the  other  man  or  not,  I  am  not  clear, 
but  he  had  said  things  he  could  not  prove  to  be  true. 
Shortly  after  I  began  my  ministry  in  Barry  a  young 
couple  came  in  from  the  country  to  be  married.  As 
it  happened,  the  Baptist  minister  at  this  time  was  a 
candidate  for  the  ministry  still  unordained,  and  I 
also  was  without  ordination.  The  young  people 
wanted  to  be  married  by  a  minister  and  did  not  know 
what  to  do.  Each  time  the  groom  went  for  a  preacher, 
the  bride  changed  her  travelling  costume  for  her 
bridal  apparel,  and  when  he  returned  without  one,  she 
changed  again.  As  a  last  resort  they  went  into  the 
country  to  Deacon  Hoyt's.  The  deacon  was  shearing 
sheep,  and  without  change  of  raiment,  he  went  into 
the  house  and  performed  the  ceremony,  and  the  mar- 
ried couple  went  on  their  way,  happy.  At  the  end 
of  the  conference  year,  which  was  in  September,  I 
took  leave  of  my  charge,  and  went  to  Bloomington, 
111.,  to  attend  the  session  of  the  Illinois  annual  con- 
ference. I  went  with  the  hope  of  getting  work  as  a 
junior  preacher  where  I  could  attend  college.  On 
some  circuits,  two  preachers  were  employed,  the 
one  being  called  the  preacher  in  charge,  the  other  us- 
ually an  unmarried  man,  being  denominated  the  junior 
preacher.  The  junior  was  not  expected  to  attend  to 
the  business  matters  of  the  charge,  but  simply  to  do 
half  the  preaching.  This  arrangement  was  very 
common  formerly  among  the  Methodist  people,  but  has 


68  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

now  nearly  gone  out  of  use,  as  the  large  circuits  have 
been  cut  up  into  smaller  charges.  The  salary  of  the 
junior  preacher  was  usually  small  and  he  boarded 
round  among  the  membership.  This  being  the  cen- 
tennial year  of  Methodism,  the  four  conferences  in 
the  state  of  Illinois  met  together  that  year  at  Bloom- 
ington,  that  being  a  central  point.  I  do  not  mean  they 
held  their  business  sessions  together.  It  was  a  sort 
of  joint  convention.  The  four  conferences  had  not 
far  from  a  thousand  members,  and  the  meetings  were 
of  unusual  interest  to  me.  I  saw  several  men  who 
were  then,  or  afterward  became,  noted. 

One  of  these  personages  was  Dr.  Fowler  of  Rock 
River  conference,  who  afterwards  became  a  bishop. 
He  was  then  a  comparatively  young  man  of  com- 
manding talents.  Another  was  Jesse  T.  Peck,  who  had 
for  some  time  previously  been  editor  of  a  church 
paper  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  He  was  a  large,  portly 
man,  past  middle  age  and  quite  bald,  there  being  but 
a  fringe  of  hair  above  his  neck.  When  he  rose  to 
address  the  meeting  he  convulsed  the  audience  by 
announcing  "  The  Pacific  Coast  salutes  you."  There 
was  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  Illinois  conference 
by  the  name  of  George  Barrett.  He  was  quite  an 
able  preacher,  but  an  irrepressible  wit  and  humorist. 
As  Dr.  Peck  was  speaking,  Mr.  Barrett  leaned  over 
toward  me  and,  referring  to  Dr.  Peck's  bald  head, 
asked  in  a  whisper,  "  What  do  you  think,  is  there  not 
too  much  prairie  for  the  amount  of  timber  ?  "  Dr. 
Peck  was  also  afterward  chosen  bishop.  I  failed  to 
find  a  place,  as  I  had  hoped,  where  I  could  attend 
college  and  preach  on  Sundays,  thus  paying  my  way. 
At  the  close  of  the  Conference,  I  called  on  the  Rev. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  69 

William  Rutledge,  who  lived  in  Bloomington  and  was 
pastor  of  the  circuit  of  that  name.  While  there  Dr. 
Peter  Cartwright  called.  He  said  he  was  hunting  a 
junior  preacher  for  the  Jacksonville  circuit  and  he 
asked  Brother  Rutledge  if  he  knew  where  he  could  find 
a  young  man  for  this  place.  Up  to  this  time  I  had 
never  met  Dr.  Cartwright.  Brother  Rutledge  cited  him 
to  me  as  a  possible  candidate  for  the  place,  and  he  in- 
formed me  that  I  could  attend  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville  and  fill  the  place  of  junior  preacher.  I 
asked  Dr.  Cartwright  what  salary  they  would  allow 
me,  and  he  said  he  supposed  they  would  allow  me 
$300.00  for  the  year.  As  I  thought  that,  with  what 
money  I  had  on  hands,  I  could  live  on  that  amount, 
he  asked  when  I  could  be  ready  to  go  to  the  charge, 
and  I  replied,  "  On  the  first  train."  So,  the  matter 
was  settled  with  a  few  words  in  a  few  minutes.  I 
afterwards  heard  Dr.  Cartwright  preach  several  times, 
as  he  was  Presiding  Elder  of  the  Jacksonville  district. 
He  had  formerly  been  celebrated  as  a  powerful 
preacher,  but  now,  in  his  old  age,  his  preaching  was 
tame  and  not  at  all  brilliant.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
force  of  character  and  iron  will,  but  in  no  sense  a 
great  man. 

I  entered  Illinois  College  at  once,  it  being  the  autumn 
of  1866.  The  president  of  the  college,  Dr.  Sturtevant, 
excused  me  from  chapel  on  Saturday  and  Sunday  as 
they  would  interfere  with  my  ministerial  labors.  I 
obtained  board  and  lodging  with  a  Mr.  Hornbeck  on 
South  Main  street,  just  one-half  mile  from  the  college 
campus.  I  had  become  acquainted  with  this  family 
while  travelling  Barry  circuit,  they  at  that  time  living 
within  the  bounds  of  that  charge.  Mrs.  Hornbeck 


70  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

was  the  daughter  of  Stephen  Paxton,  the  noted  Sunday 
school  evangelist,  who  resided  in  Jacksonville.  Jack- 
sonville circuit  was  then  a  large  circuit,  requiring 
four  weeks  to  complete  the  round  of  appointments. 
There  were  two  preaching  points  each  Sunday.  As 
this  required  quite  an  amount  of  riding,  I  procured 
a  young  horse  of  one  of  the  society  members,  who 
was  a  farmer  and  charged  me  nothing  for  the  use 
of  the  horse,  and  did  my  travelling  on  horseback.  I 
would  go  on  Saturday  into  the  neighborhood  of  my 
Sunday  morning  appointment  and  stay  over  night  with 
some  member  of  the  society.  I  would  attend  the 
Sunday  school  on  Sunday  morning  and  preach  at 
the  morning  service,  then  go  to  another  point  and 
preach  in  the  afternoon.  I  had  no  appointment  on 
Sunday  night  unless  it  was  extra,  but  I  would  return 
to  the  city  Sunday  night  or  early  Monday  morning 
to  be  ready  for  my  college  work.  I  was  at  that  time 
quite  an  enthusiastic  Sunday-school  worker  and  some- 
times trained  the  children  in  singing.  Ability  in  this 
direction  tended  to  make  a  young -preacher  more  ac- 
ceptable and  popular.  I  was  succeeding  very  well 
in  my  college  course  and  I  hoped,  by  doing  extra  work 
during  the  summer  vacation,  to  complete  the  cur- 
riculum in  two  years.  The  literary  society  with  whom 
I  'had  united  honored  me  by  electing  me  president., 
although  this  honor  was  almost  invariably  given  to 
a  senior.  I  was  now  in  my  twenty-fifth  year  and  it 
looked  as  though  I  might  be  able,  before  I  should  be 
thirty  years  old,  to  complete  both  a  college  and  a 
theological  course.  I  was  also  succeeding  quite  satis- 
factorily in  ministerial  work.  My  colleague,  the  Rev. 
George  Rutledge,  was  considered  one  of  the  best  men 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  71 

in  the  conference  as  well  as  one  of  the  best  preachers. 
He  and  his  brother  William,  of  whom  I  have  already 
spoken,  were  of  poetic  temperament  and  masters  of 
a  style  of  oratory  most  pleasing  to  the  listener.  You 
would  say  on  hearing  either  one  of  them  preach  that 
more  beautiful  and  more  appropriate  language  could 
not  be  used  than  came  spontaneously  from  their  lips ; 
and  I  was  amazed  to  learn  that  my  preaching  was  as 
acceptable  as  was  that  of  Brother  Rutledge.  It  could 
not  compare  with  his  in  rhetorical  finish,  but  I  suppose 
it  was  more  fresh  and  more  direct  and  practical. 
During  vacations  I  held  some  revival  meetings,  and 
for  the  first  tkne  in  travelling  a  circuit,  I  saw  results 
of  my  labors  in  professed  conversions.  During  that 
winter  of  1866-7  we  had  some  quite  severe  weather 
and  I  suffered  from  cold  in  riding  this  large  circuit.  I 
had  sufficient  outside  clothing,  but  did  not  wear  suf- 
ficient underclothing.  As  boy  and  young  man  I  had 
worn  no  underclothing  and  this  was  the  common  habit 
among  the  common  people.  One  morning  in  January, 
1867,  I  arose  at  Arcadia,  a  village  eight  miles  north 
of  Jacksonville  and  started  about  sunrise  to  ride  to 
that  city.  It  was  very  cold,  the  mercury  standing  below 
zero,  and  a  deep  snow  was  on  the  ground.  I  rode 
swiftly,  but  when  within  about  two  miles  of  the  city, 
I  found  my  lower  limbs  becoming  quite  devoid  of 
feeling  on  account  of  the  cold  and  I  dismounted  to 
walk  and  lead  my  horse.  He  was  unaccustomed  to 
being  led  and  I  made  slow  progress,  and  I  really 
feared  that  I  should  be  frozen  before  reaching  the 
fire.  I,  however,  escaped  that  calamity  but  was  careful 
to  provide  myself  with  warmer  clothing  thereafter. 
It  took  me  several  years  to  become  acclimated  to  Illi- 


72  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

nois,  the  prairie  winds  being  a  new  experience  and 
causing  several  attacks  of  bilious  fever.  I  found 
it  necessary  to  protect  myself  with  underclothing  both 
summer  and  winter.  As  I  have  intimated,  the  pros- 
pect of  success  seemed  to  open  up  before  me,  and 
I  had  good  reason  to  hope  for  the  fulfillment  of  my 
ambitious  dreams.  It  is  said,  "  Man  proposes,  but 
God  disposes."  While  the  prospect  looked  so  roseate, 
a  sudden  calamity  fell  upon  me.  I  was  taken  with 
inflamed  sore  eyes;  I  could  not  tell  where  the  disease 
was  contracted  or  how,  but  it  was  a  severe  case.  This 
was  in  the  early  spring  of  1867.  For  weeks  I  was 
almost  blind,  though  I  continued  to  attend  to  my 
duties  on  the  circuit,  but  study  was  impossible,  and 
for  two  years  I  was  able  to  read  but  for  a  few  minutes 
at  one  time.  This  cut  short  my  college  career  and 
blasted  my  hopes  for  a  theological  course.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  this  seeming  calamity  was  a  great  mercy 
to  me,  and  intended  for  my  rescue.  As  Wesley  has 
written  in  that  beautiful  hymn: 

The  troubles  that  come, 

Shall  come   to  our  rescue,   and   hasten  us  home. 

In  the  month  of  August,  1867,  I  was  taken  sick  of 
bilious  remittent  fever.  I  was  at  the  time  boarding 
with  a  Mrs.  Allen,  a  widow  of  a  Methodist  preacher, 
who  had  been  a  member  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Con- 
ference. Her  boarding  house  was  on  State  street, 
one  block  east  of  the  public  square.  I  was  seriously 
ill  from  the  first  and  had  no  one  to  take  care  of 
me.  Being  a  member  of  a  Sons  of  Temperance  lodge, 
my  case  was  promptly  reported  and  a  young  man,  who 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  73 

was  a  member  of  that  order  and  also  a  Methodist, 
took  it  upon  himself  to  look  after  my  welfare.  The 
members  of  my  charge  were  living  in  the  country 
and  would  not  hear  of  my  condition  for  several  days 
at  least.  This  young  man  nursed  me  each  alternate 
night  and  secured  someone  to  do  the  same  the  inter- 
vening nights.  He  also  provided  ice  and  other  com- 
forts and  visited  me  every  day.  My  fever  was  highest 
at  night  so  that  sleep  was  impossible  during  the  night. 
I  lay  in  a  room  between  the  dining  room  on  one  side 
and  the  public  parlor  on  the  other.  The  flies  were 
numerous  and  I  had  no  one  to  keep  them  off  during 
the  day;  and  what  with  the  noise  and  the  flies,  I  got 
scarcely  any  sleep  or  rest  in  the  daytime  and  I  grad- 
ually grew  worse.  The  parsonage  of  the  Centenary 
M.  E.  Church  was  near  at  hand  across  the  street,  and 
the  wife  of  the  pastor  heard  of  my  sickness.  The 
pastor  was  Dr.  Phillips,  afterward  president  of  the 
State  Asylum  for  the  Blind.  Mrs.  Phillips  visited 
me  and  told  me  I  would  die  if  I  stayed  where  I  was. 
She  kindly  offered  to  take  me  into  her  house  and  take 
care  of  me.  My  young  friend,  before  mentioned,  had 
me  removed  to  the  parsonage  and  I  soon  began  to 
mend;  but  it  was  several  months  before  I  fully  re- 
covered. However,  in  a  few  weeks,  I  resumed  my 
ministerial  duties. 

Though  I  had  been  elected  president  of  the  Sigma 
Pi  literary  society,  I  had  never  presided  at  a  session 
of  the  society  'as  it  did  not  meet  during  the  summer 
vacation,  and  before  the  fall  term  began  I  was  con- 
vinced of  the  impossibility  of  my  continuing  my  studies 
and  resigned  the  office.  I  acted  as  president  but  on 
one  occasion.  The  two  literary  societies  in  the  college. 


74  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  Sigma  Pi  and  the  Phi  Alpha  in  alternate  years 
employed  eminent  persons  to  deliver  public  lectures, 
and  used  the  proceeds,  if  any  remained  over  expenses, 
for  the  benefit  of  the  society  libraries.  This  year  it 
was  our  turn  and  the  Hon.  Chas.  Sumner  was  secured 
to  deliver  a  lecture  for  our  benefit.  As  president  of 
the  society  it  was  my  duty  to  introduce  him  to  the 
audience,  which  I  did.  I  also  attended  the  society 
banquet  given  at  one  of  the  principal  hotels  of  the 
city,  and  there  obtained  a  clearer  view  of  the  advan- 
tages of  education  and  of  the  help  to  be  derived  from 
college  associations.  They  did  not  prove  any  ad- 
vantage to  me,  but  it  was  through  my  own  free  renun-i 
ciation  of  them.  At  the  close  of  the  conference  year 
which  was  in  September,  the  official  board  of  Jackson- 
ville circuit  asked  me  to  continue  another  year  as 
junior  preacher  on  the  circuit  and  proposed  to  raise 
my  salary  to  five  hundred  dollars.  The  preacher  in 
charge,  Rev.  George  Rutledge,  had  received  twelve 
hundred  dollars  per  year  and- the  use  of  the  parsonage, 
which  he  did  not  use,  as  he  owned  a  house  in  the 
city,  but  which  he  rented  for  three  hundred  dollars. 
That  made  his  salary  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  mine 
three  hundred.  The  officials  said  the  disparity  was  too 
great  as  my  preaching  was  as  acceptable  as  his  and  I 
had  held  as  many  extra  meetings.  So  they  proposed 
to  take  two  hundred  dollars  off  his  salary  and  add  it 
to  mine.  The  Rev.  George  was  a  good  friend  of  mine 
but  this  was  a  heavier  tax  on  his  friendship  than  it 
would  bear.  He  strenuous./  objected  to  the  arrange- 
ment ;  and  as  I  was  not  a  member  of  the  conference, 
but  a  supply,  and  had  no  influence  in  the  conference, 
he  had  another  young  man,  who  was  a  member  of  the 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  75 

conference  and  who  was  satisfied  with  three  hundred 
dollars,  appointed  in  my  place.  I  had  never  com- 
plained of  my  salary  nor  asked  for  an  increase.  The 
official  board  were  actuated  simply  by  a  sense  of  justice 
in  their  proposal.  Moral:  See  how  these  Methodist 
preachers  love  one  another !  But  God  looks  after  the 
interests  of  the  widow  and  the  orphan  and  the  simple 
minded  who  are  not  able  to  look  out  for  themselves. 
Dr.  Peter  Akers  was  made  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
district  in  the  place  of  Dr.  Peter  Cartwright.  He 
came  back  from  conference  looking  for  a  "  supply  '' 
for  a  new  charge  which  had  but  recently  been  created 
in  the  city  of  Jacksonville,  arid  which  was  as  yet 
without  a  house  of  worship.  He  asked  me  to  become 
pastor  of  this  society  and  I  accepted  the  place.  I 
think  I  had  the  honor  of  naming  it  "  Brooklyn  "  charge 
because  of  its  being  situated  south  of  the  brook  which 
crosses  the  city  from  east  to  west.  The  official  board 
allowed  me  a  salary  of  seven  hundred  dollars,  and  I 
was  not  at  the  expense  of  keeping  a  horse,  nor  did  I 
need  to  ride  through  the  heat  or  cold  to  reach  my 
appointments.  During  the  previous  summer  I  had 
become  acquainted  with  a  small  band  of  people,  mostly 
Methodists,  who  met  every  Tuesday  afternoon  in  what 
they  called  a  "  Holiness  "  meeting.  I  remember  that 
the  widow  of  Richard  Yates,  Senior,  the  war  governor 
of  Illinois,  and  the  mother  of  the  late  Governor  Yates, 
often  met  with  them.  I  became  a  regular  attendant 
of  these  meetings  and  many  of  these  "  Holiness " 
people,  as  they  were  called,  became  members  of  my  con- 
gregation and  the  society  became  distinctively  a  "  Holi- 
ness "  church.  I  will  digress  here  to  say  a  few  words 
concerning  Dr.  Akers.  He  was,  at  this  time,  about 


76  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

eighty  years  old,  about  the  same  age  as  Dr.  Cart- 
wright,  but  unlike  him  in  most  particulars.  He  was 
a  well  educated  man,  having  been  for  years  president 
of  McKendry  College;  a  deep  thinker  and  an  able 
preacher  even  yet  in  his  extreme  age.  He  was  gentle 
in  his  manners,  without  self-assertion  and  was  uni- 
versally esteemed  and  beloved.  He  wrote  and  pub- 
lished a  work  on  Chronology,  which  was  too  profound 
to  be  generally  understood  or  appreciated,  but  was 
commended  by  the  experts  in  that  science.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  he  was  the  most  able  man  intellectually 
that  ever  belonged  to  the  Illinois  Conference,  up  to 
that  time.  Shortly  after  I  became  pastor  of  Brooklyn 
charge,  we  began  planning  to  build  a  house  of  worship, 
and  some  of  the  burden  of  raising  the  funds  was  laid 
upon  me.  I  never  was  of  any  account  as  a  beggar.  I 
remember  that  I  was  sent  to  "  Uncle  Billy  Stroebling  " 
as  he  was  popularly  called.  He  was  the  Rev.  William 
Stroebling,  who  lived  outside  the  city  within  the  bounds 
of  Jacksonville  circuit.  He  was  a  remarkable  char- 
acter and  most  unique.  He  owned  640  acres  of  land 
just  outside  the  city  limits  and  was  not  celebrated  for 
his  generosity  or  liberality.  He  was  usually  dressed 
in  clothes  of  a  bygone  age,  but  was  most  remarkable 
for  his  vocabulary.  He  never  used  a  small  word  when 
a  large  one  could  be  pressed  into  service.  Dr.  Samuel 
Johnson  was  celebrated  for  his  stilted  style,  but 
Brother  Stroebling  out-Johnsoned  Johnson.  The 
clerks  in  the  stores  never  knew  what  he  wanted  by  the 
language  he  used  in  calling  for  an  article.  He  was 
thought  to  be  a  great  preacher  because  no  one  could 
understand  him.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  this  eccen- 
tricity of  his,  I  will  give  you  the  language  he  used  at 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  77 

table  as  reported  to  me  by  the  hostess  herself.  "  Sister, 
please  pass  «a  portion  of  that  nutritious  aliment  for 
which  it  is  enjoined  upon  us  to  make  diurnal  supplica- 
tion." In  short,  that  is,  "  Please  pass  the  bread."  I 
had  very  moderate  success  in  getting  a  donation  for  the 
new  meeting  house  out  of  "  Uncle  Billy."  The  chapel 
was  built  that  fall  and  though  not  completed  inside 
or  outside,  was  available  for  holding  services  in.  The 
next  summer  the  interior  was  finished,  but  the  towers 
were  not  completed  until  after  I  left  the  charge,  nor 
was  the  house  dedicated  until  later. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  NEW  EXPERIENCE  AND  MY  MARRIAGE. 

I  am  now  approaching  the  crisis  of  my  life  experi- 
ence, the  determining  factor  of  my  religious  career. 

In  the  autumn  of  1867  I  was  twenty-six  years  old, 
and  as  my  college  course  was  cut  short,  I  began  to 
think  seriously  of  marriage.  Up  to  this  time  the  desire 
to  finish  my  education  had  been  a  bar  to  matrimony, 
unless  I  should  marry  a  fortune.  It  is  true  some 
opportunities  of  this  nature  appeared  to  be  thrown  in 
my  way  but  they  did  not  appeal  to  me.  But  now  I 
was  free  to  seek  a  wife.  If  I  were  to  continue  in  the 
Christian  ministry,  it  was  much  better  to  be  married 
than  single,  provided  I  had  a  suitable  wife.  I  had 
another  great  need  of  which  I  was  sensible,  and  that 
was  a  right  heart.  I  realized  this  only  dimly,  however. 
I  had  met  and  became  slightly  acquainted  with  a  Meth- 
odist preacher,  by  the  name  of  Adam  Clark  Armen- 
trout,  an  able  preacher  and  a  holy  man.  I  had  talked 
with  him  several  times  upon  the  subject  of  holiness 
or  sanctification  with  reference  to  my  personal  ex- 
perience, but  he  acted  as  though  he  thought  I  was  not 
serious  about  the  matter,  and  gave  me  little  satis- 
faction. He  probably  judged  me  by  my  dress,  as  I 
was  tasty  and  particular  in  my  apparel  and  may  have 
appeared  foppish  to  him.  But  you  cannot  always  tell 
what  is  in  a  man's  heart  by  what  is  on  the  outside  of 

78 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  79 

him.  I  also  had  made  some  claims  to  an  experience 
of  holiness  of  heart,  but  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with 
that  experience.  In  January,  1868,  Brother  Armen- 
trout,  who  was  stationed  at  Winchester,  16  miles  from 
Jacksonville,  sent  for  me  to  assist  him  in  a  series  of 
meetings.  He  had  already  been  two  years  in  the 
charge  and  had  done  a  good  work  there,  a  number 
of  his  flock  having  -been  saved  from  sin,  as  also  some 
in  other  congregations.  He  said  he  had  sent  for  me 
to  preach  to  sinners  outside  of  the  "  church," .  which 
he  could  not  do  over  the  heads  of  sinners  on  the  in- 
side. This  was  not  particularly  complimentary  to  my 
spiritual  state,  but  I  was  not  offended.  I  was  willing 
to  be  used  to  pull  his  chestnuts  out  of  the  fire.  I  had 
heard  of  a  young  woman  in  Brother  Armentrout's  con- 
gregation, a  teacher  .in  the  public  schools  of  Win- 
chester, and  a  graduate  of  Jacksonville  Female  College, 
who  had  been  saved  from  sin  through  his  labors.  I 
had  never  seen  her,  and  knew  nothing  about  her  per- 
sonal appearance,  but  she  was  highly  spoken  of,  and 
I  imagined  that  she  might  make  a  suitable  wife  for  a 
Methodist  preacher.  I  went  to  Winchester  on  Friday 
and  preached  on  that  night,  Saturday  night,  and  twice 
on  Sunday,  and  on  Monday  night,  returning  to  Jack- 
sonville on  Tuesday.  The  influences  about  me  were 
such  as  to  make  preaching  easy,  and  Brother  Armen- 
trout  remarked  to  me  that  I  was  an  abler  preacher  than 
he  had  supposed,  as  he  had  never  heard  me  previously. 
I  put  up  at  the  parsonage  during  my  stay,  and  sister 
Armentrout  soon  began  talking  to  me  of  the  young 
woman  I  have  mentioned.  Miss  Nannie  Burnett.  She 
had  lost  her  position  in  the  public  school  of  the  city 
because  of  her  religious  professions,  and  was  teaching 


80  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

in  the  country,  and  did  not  reach  town  until  Saturday. 
She  and  the  pastor's  wife  were  intimate  friends  and 
Mrs.  Armentrout  did  not  fail  to  sing  her  praises.  I 
said  little  and  did  not  show  much  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject. Miss  Burnett  came  to  visit  Mrs.  Armentrout, 
and  I  met  her  and  had  a  short  conversation  with  her. 
I  found  her  a  small,  delicate  looking  lady  of  rather 
prepossessing  appearance,  quite  ladylike  and  modest. 
I  was  quite  favorably  impressed  with  her  looks.  Her 
health  was  delicate,  however,  and  she  was  not  really 
able  to  teach  a  country  school.  She  left  Monday 
morning  for  her  school,  I  meanwhile  having  met  her 
a  few  times  in  the  meetings  and  having  spoken  but  a 
few  words  to  her.  I  noticed,  however,  that  her  hand 
trembled  as  she  shook  hands  with  me  in  bidding  me 
"  good-bye."  I  enjoyed  the  meetings  and  was  much 
impressed  with  the  spirituality  of  some  of  the  people. 
My  resolutions  to  be  a  whole  hearted  Christian  were 
much  strengthened.  After  the  last  service  on  Mon- 
day night,  January  29,  1868,  Brother  Armentrout  and 
I  sat  and  talked  matters  over.  He  asked  me  what  I 
meant  to  do.  I  told  him  I  meant  to  preach  the  whol£ 
gospel  of  salvation  from  sin.  He  presented  what  dis- 
couragements he  saw  lying  before  me  if  I  carried  out 
such  a  purpose.  He  told  me  that  likely  the  conference 
would  not  receive  me  if  I  kept  my  resolutions.  I 
said  that  would  make  no  difference.  This  prophecy 
afterwards  came  true.  He  said  it  would  not  surprise 
him  if  they  excommunicated  me.  I  scarcely  thought 
that  probable,  but  declared  that  it  would  not  alter  my 
purpose.  Then  he  remarked  that  a  man  needed  a 
great  deal  of  the  anointing  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
preach  a  real  gospel.  I  replied  that  I  was  convinced 


S.  R.  Harshman  at  Age  of 
Twenty-six  Years. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  «1 

of  that  and  that  I  did  not  have  this  anointing,  "  but," 
I  asked,  "  what  would  you  do  under  such  conditions?  " 
He  replied,  "  I  would  obey  God  and  trust  Him  for 
the  anointing."  I  said  that  was  what  I  would  do. 
As  it  was  late,  we  rose  to  retire  to  bed.  He  lighted 
me  to  my  room  and  started  back  to  the  sitting  room, 
but  turned  again  and  exclaimed,  "  Brother  Harshman, 
I  bless  God  I  ever  saw  you,"  and  his  countenance  shone 
as  he  spoke.  I  went  into  my  room  and  began  to  pre- 
pare for  bed ;  I  had  fully  made  up  my  mind  to  obey 
the  Lord  and  to  trust  Him  for  the  necessary  grace 
and  fitness.  I  was  not  long  kept  waiting  for  the  ful- 
fillment of  this  promise.  As  was  my  habit,  I  knelt  by 
my  bedside  to  pray  before  lying  down.  I  was  not 
asking  the  Lord  to  save  me,  though  I  was  trusting 
Him  to  do  so  in  His  own  good  time.  Suddenly,  as 
I  knelt,  the  Holy  Spirit  fell  upon  me  in  wonderful 
power.  My  whole  being  was  illuminated  and  en- 
tranced. I  was  filled  with  joy  and  a  sense  of  God's 
presence.  I  did  not  feel  like  shouting  or  making  any 
noisy  demonstration ;  my  happiness  was  indescribable, 
it  was  rather, 

"  The  prostrate  awe  that  dares  not  move 
And  all  the  silent  heaven  of  love." 

I  had  a  vivid  sense  of  the  fact  that  my  nature  was 
made  pure;  that  there  was  nothing  within  me  that 
was  offensive  to  Infinite  Purity.  God  had  purged  me 
with  hyssop  and  I  was  clean ;  He  had  washed  me  and 
I  was  whiter  than  snow.  For  the  first  time  in  my  ex- 
perience, I  was  wholly  delivered  from  the  fear  of 
death.  The  thought  of  death  was  joyous. 


82  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

"  A  love  surpassing  far 
The  love  of  all  beneath 
I   found   within   my  heart,   and   dared 
The  pointless  darts  of  death." 

I  seemed  to  be  in  heaven,  it  seemed  all  about  me  and 
within  me,  I  could  fear  nothing.  I  thought  of  Brother 
Armentrout  and  realized  for  the  first  time  what 
it  was  to  "  love  the  brethren."  I  never  had  felt  such 
love  for  any  human  being.  It  seemed  to  me  that  it 
would  be  a  pleasure  to  lay  down  my  life  for  him ;  1 
wanted  to  go  to  him  and  tell  him  how  I  loved  him. 
But  I  was  restrained  by  the  thought  that  he  was  prob- 
ably asleep  and  I  did  not  wish  to  disturb  him,  and 
that  it  would  keep  until  morning.  I  had  no  .impulse 
to  do  anything  extravagant  or  indecorous  or  absurd, 
and  I  have  ever  since  then  had  doubts  of  the  origin 
of  such  impulses.  I  do  not  believe  that  they  come 
from  the  Holy  Spirit,  Who  is  a  God  of  order,  pro- 
priety and  decorum.  The  spirit  of  Christianity  is  the 
"  spirit  of  love  and  of  power,  and  of  a  sound  mind." 
Love  "  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly."  I  finally 
fell  asleep  and  did  not  awake  until  morning.  When 
I  awoke  the  ecstasy  of  feeling  was  gone,  but  I  felt 
clearly  the  change  which  had  taken  place  in  me  and 
did  not  hesitate  to  speak  of  it.  The  change  in  me 
had  changed  the  aspect  of  many  things ;  I  saw  them 
with  different  eyes.  I  returned  to  Jacksonville  that 
day,  it  being  Tuesday,  and  went  to  the  Holiness 
Meeting  that  afternoon  and  told  the  people  what  great 
things  the  Lord  had  done  for  me,  and  they  rejoiced 
with  me.  But  many  whom  I  had  regarded  as  my 
friends,  both  among  preachers  and  laity,  looked  at  me 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  83 

askance  and  with  suspicion;  and  I  soon  found  that 
Satan  was  not  favorably  disposed  toward  me  any 
more  than  his  friends  were.  Persecution  began  which 
has  continued  up  to  the  present  time.  I  at  once  began 
the  consideration  of  the  marriage  problem.  I  learned 
before  I  left  Winchester  that  it  was  currently  re- 
ported that  Miss  Burnett  and  I  were  to  be  married. 
I  am  pleased  to  think  that  the  people  discerned  in 
this  match  the  "  eternal  fitness  of  things,"  but  they 
reached  that  conclusion  ahead  of  me.  However,  I 
soon  made  up  my  mind  to  the  same  effect,  and  im- 
mediately wrote  the  lady  proposing  correspondence 
with  a  view  to  matrimony.  She  was  at  the  time  re- 
ceiving the  attentions  of  another  young  man  who 
lived  in  Winchester.  When  she  came  home  from  the 
country  the  following  Saturday,  Brother  Shearer,  her 
foster  father,  had  a  note  for  her  from  this  young 
man  and  also  a  letter  from  me.  He  handed  her  the 
note,  but  said  nothing  about  the  letter.  She  glanced 
at  the  note  and  saw  whom  it  was  from  and  im- 
mediately asked,  "where  is  the  other  one?"  He 
handed  it  to  her,  and  on  reading  it,  she  remarked, 
"  that  suits  me."  I  visited  her  once  in  March  and 
for  the  first  time  we  saw  each  other  alone.  We 
were  married  on  Easter  Sunday,  the  12th  of  April, 
1868,  in  the  M.  E.  meeting  house,  Brother  A.  C.  Ar- 
mentrout  officiating.  He  preached  that  morning  from 
a  peculiar  text  of  scripture,  found  in  Solomon's  Song, 
2nd  Chapter,  8th  to  13th  verse.  I  will  not  quote  it,  the 
reader  may  read  it  for  himself  in  the  Bible  if  he 
wishes  to  know  what  it  is.  At  the  close  of  the  sermon 
we  stepped  forward  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  a  short 
marriage  ceremony  was  performed  just  before  the 


84  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

closing  prayer.  I  had  procured  a  carriage  and  had 
driven  down  from  Jacksonville  on  Saturday  and  in- 
tended to  return  on  Monday  with  my  wife,  but  she 
was .  not  feeling  well  enough  to  make,  the  trip  and 
we  postponed  our  return  until  Tuesday.  My  friends 
in  Jacksonville  had  prepared  a  surprise  for  me  on  my 
return;  they  had  prepared  an  elaborate  wedding  feast 
without  a  hint  to  me  of  their  intention,  and  they  were 
much  chagrined  at  our  non-appearance  to  grace  the 
feast,  and  subjected  themselves  to  a  little  ridicule  by 
their  discomfiture,  and  were  not  feeling  in  the  best 
of  humor  when  we  returned  on  Tuesday.  The  dinner 
as  a  surprise  was  a  complete  success,  as  every  one 
concerned  was  in  some  way  surprised.  During  my 
wife's  illness  on  the  Monday  after  the  wedding,  I 
had  an  experience  which  I  will  here  relate.  She 
suffered  from  an  ailment  which  often  attacked  her 
and  was  enduring  considerable  pain.  As  she  lay  on 
a  couch  and  I  sat  beside  her  witnessing  her  suffering,  it 
occurred  to  me  to  pray  for  her  relief.  The  suggestion 
seemed  reasonable,  and  I  silently  lifted  my  heart  in 
a  petition  to  God  for  help.  I  was  surprised  to  realize 
immediate  access  to  God,  and  to  feel  an  assurance  of 
being  heard.  I  waited  a  few  minutes  and  then  asked 
my  wife  how  she  felt.  She  replied,  "  the  pain  is  all 
gone  " ;  and  after  examining  herself,  "  and  the  sore- 
ness is  all  gone,  also."  She  was  completely  relieved 
and  never  afterward  had  a  repetition  of  the  attack. 
Then  in  my  ignorance,  I  jumped  to  a  conclusion  that 
many  more  experienced  and  wiser  men  have  arrived 
at:  viz,  that  because  God  healed  once  in  answer  to 
prayer,  He  would  always  heal,  and  that  there  was 
no  need  of  a  Christian's  being  sick.  It  seemed  such 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  85 

an  easy  matter  to  be  healed ;  but  experience  soon 
taught  me  my  mistake.  It  is  not  always  possible  to 
offer  the  prayer  of  faith  for  the  healing  of  the  sick. 
Such  experiences  are  the  exception  and  not  the  rule. 
I  might  just  as  well  expect  that  my  building  would 
always  be  protected  from  lightning  strokes,  tornado's 
blast  or  the  ravages  of  fire,  or  that  my  crops  might 
never  feel  the  effects  of  frost  or  drought  or  suffer 
from  the  effects  of  insect  pests.  God's  people  are  still 
subject  to  natural  evil  and  will  be  until  their  bodies 
and  this  earth  are  redeemed  from  the  curse  pro- 
nounced upon  disobedient  Adam.  The  Lord  will  in 
special  cases  deliver  us  from  these  evils  when  He 
sees  it  to  be  for  His  glory  and  our  good  in  answer 
to  the  prayer  of  faith.  The  time  and  place  is  in  His 
will  and  not  in  ours. 

My  wife  and  I  obtained  board  and  lodging  with  a 
family  by  the  name  of  Lacy.  Mr.  Lacy  was  a  man 
who  had  inherited  some  wealth  but,  by  extravagance 
and  poor  business  methods,  was  squandering  it.  His 
wife  was  a  member  of  my  congregation.  I  had  en- 
tirely recovered  from  the  effects  of  my  attack  of 
bilious  fever  the  previous  summer,  though  it  had  taken 
months  to  do  so,  and  was  enjoying  robust  health.  My 
weight  was  greater  at  this  time  than  ever  before  or 
since.  I  enjoyed  my  work,  but  I  found  some  draw- 
backs, and  many  temptations.  I  found  it  necessary 
for  me  to  revise  my  former  conception  of  Christianity 
in  many  respects.  I  had  always  supposed  the  essence 
of  religion  to  subsist  mostly  in  the  emotions,  and  that 
the  great  aim  of  a  Christian  was  to  be  happy,  to 
enjoy  ecstasy  of  feelings.  I  expected  as  a  result  of 
my  new  experience  to  be  constantly  exhilarated  and 


86  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

filled  with  the  spirit  of  rejoicing,  and  I  was  astonished 
to  find  myself  often  in  heaviness  and  discouraged 
and  cast  down.  At  one  time  I  was  visiting  at  Brother 
B.  R.  Rucker's  and,  feeling  much  perplexed  and  wor- 
ried, Sister  Rucker  asked  me  if  I  ever  sought  counsel 
or  comfort  from  the  Lord  by  opening  the  Bible  and 
expecting  a  message  from  the  first  passage  my  eyes 
might  light  upon.  I  told  her  I  had  never  done  such 
a  thing.  She  said  she  often  did,  and  she  volunteered 
to  ask  something  from  the  Lord  to  comfort  me.  She 
took  her  Bible  and  retired  into  another  room.  Shortly 
she  returned  and  handed  me  the  Bible  to  open  at 
random,  so  to  speak.  I  opened  it  and  the  first  passage 
my  eye  fell  upon  was  in  Isaiah  XLI,  Chapter  10th  to 
16th  verses.  This  language  was  most  powerfully  ap- 
plied to  my  soul  so  that  it  seemed -that  the  Lord  had 
spoken  to  me  directly  from  heaven.  It  melted  me  to 
tears  and  filled  me  with  courage  and  hope.  I  had 
been  quite  particular  about  my  dress,  and  I  now  found 
myself  troubled  about  the  matter.  I  saw  the  necessity 
of  plainness  of  apparel.  I  had  never  worn  rings, 
gold  chains  or  things  of  that  nature.  My  conscience 
was  very  tender  and  Satan  was  ready  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  this  to  torment  me  about  trifles.  I  dis- 
carded neckties  and  have  never  since  worn  them, 
though  I  lay  down  no  such  rule  for  others.  I  cru- 
cified my  taste  in  dress  hoping  in  these  things  to 
please  God.  I  was  sincere,  but  probably  in  some 
things  mistaken.  I  felt  it  laid  upon  me  to  kneel  down 
as  soon  as  I  entered  my  seat  in  a  religious  meeting; 
soon  others  followed  my  example  and  it  became  sort 
of  a  distinguishing  mark  of  the  Holiness  people  in 
Jacksonville.  At  first  it  was  a  cross  to  do  this ;  but 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  87 

soon  the  novelty  wore  off  and  it  ceased  to  be  a  cross, 
and  then  I  felt  it  laid  upon  me  to  quit  this  practice. 
This  was  a  greater  cross  than  the  other,  as  it  had 
the  appearance  of  retrograding;  however,  I  did  what 
I  felt  to  be  my  duty.  Methodist  preachers  were  in 
the  habit  of  kneeling  as  soon  as  they  entered  the 
pulpit.  I  saw  that  this  was  often,  if  not  usually,  done 
from  habit  and  that  it  smacked  of  vain  religious  show 
and  hypocrisy.  I  had  to  quit  the  practice.  These 
matters  are  of  no  importance  in  themselves,  but  only 
as  they  are  used  to  instruct  and  discipline  the  child 
of  God.  In  August  of  that  year,  1868,  the  Western 
Holiness  Association  held  a  camp-meeting  near  Wil- 
liamsville,  Illinois,  and  a  number  of  the  members  of 
my  congregation  attended  it.  My  wife  and  I  attended 
also ;  in  fact,  all  the  so-called  holiness  preachers  of 
the  conference  were  there,  though  that  was  but  a  small 
number.  There  was  quite  a  large  attendance  at  this 
meeting,  and  it  became  quite  a  means  of  education 
to  me  on  account  of  my  short  experience  in  the  work. 
The  Rev.  Hardin  Wallace  of  Jacksonville,  who  was 
in  poor  health  had  professed  sanctification  during  the 
summer,  but  was  not  at  the  meeting,  probably  because 
of  sickness.  During  the  summer  his  brother,  Rev. 
Henry  Clay  Wallace,  who  was  stationed  at  Petersburg, 
111.,  had  invited  me  to  visit  that  town  and  preach  on 
the  subject  of  holiness.  My  wife  and  I  went  and 
during  our  stay  Hardin  Wallace  had  visited  his  brother. 
He  was  so  cautious  and  conservative  that  it  tended 
to  muzzle  my  freedom  of  speech  and  I  became  dis- 
couraged and  disgusted  and  ran  away  from  the  work. 
I  was  quite  outspoken  and  bold,  and  possibly  my  zeal 
was  not  always  tempered  by  knowledge ;  but  I  could 


88  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

not  endure  any  shackles  on  my  liberty  of  thought  and 
speech.  I  was  advised  to  be  careful  lest  I  might  injure 
the  "  church  "  by  my  outspokenness,  but  my  aim  was 
to  speak  God's  truth  and  let  the  "  church  "  take  care 
of  itself.  I  had  no  respect  for  a  church  that  could 
be  injured  by  the  truth  faithfully  spoken.  This 
brought  me  into  conflict  with  the  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities and  brought  down  upon  my  devoted  head 
the  vials  of  their  wrath.  At  the  holiness  camp-meeting 
a  Methodist  minister  by  the  name  of  W.  H.  Rayburn 
was  in  attendance.  He  was  at  this  time,  I  think,  pastor 
on  Williamsville  circuit.  There  were  rumors  afloat 
that  his  conduct  was  not  above  reproach ;  and  that  his 
relations  with  a  Mrs.  Redfield,  the  widow  of  a  Free 
Methodist  preacher,  were  not  what  they  should  be. 
She  was  also  at  this  meeting.  She  was  a  woman  of 
unusual  ability  and  forcefulness,  but  considerably 
older  than  Mr.  Rayburn,  who  had  been  an 'acceptable 
preacher,  of  good  abilities,  fine  address  and  a  beautiful 
voice  both  for  speaking  and  singing.  I  could  find  no 
substantial  basis  for  these  reports,  and  thought  they 
might  be  slanders  set  afloat  to  injure  a  good  man.  I 
decided  to  suspend  my  judgment  of  the  man  until  I 
could  be  better  informed,  as  that  was  what  I  would 
wish  others  to  do  in  my  case.  But  the  Jacksonville 
holiness  people  were  determined  to  reject  him  on  mere 
suspicion  and  rumor,  and  fell  out  with  me  because  I 
would  not  do  so.  I  was  afterwards  compelled  to  re- 
ject him  because  the  rumors  proved  to  be  founded 
on  facts.  The  meetings  continued  over  two  Sundays. 
There  was  a  number  of  good  people  there  and  some 
who  were  inclined  to  fanatical  practices.  Most  of 
those  who  encamped  on  the  grounds  were  Methodists 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  89 

though  the  Association  was  itself  undenominational. 
This  movement,  though  it  promoted  the  spread  of  a 
Methodist  doctrine,  the  Wesleyan  theory  of  sanctifi- 
cation,  was  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by  the  eccle- 
siastical authorities  of  the  M.  E.  denomination,  as  they 
distrusted  the  loyalty  of  the  Methodists  engaged  in 
it.  Their  opposition  and  their  hostility  tended  to  pro- 
duce the  result  they  feared.  There  was  scarcely 
enough  vitality  in  the  movement  to  have  produced  a 
schism  if  it  had  been  treated  with  toleration.  And 
even  hostility  drove  but  comparatively  few  out  of  the 
fellowship  of  that  sect.  I  said  some  things  in  preaching 
and  testimony  at  this  meeting  that  provoked  the  wrath 
of  the  Methodist  authorities.  Among  other  things, 
at  a  love  feast  and  testimony  meeting  on  Sunday 
morning  when  a  large  congregation  was  present,  after 
having  the  Methodist  "  church  "  lauded  "  ad  nauseum  " 
as  the  agent,  under  God,  of  the  salvation  of  the 
speakers,  I  arose  and  declared  that  I  thanked  God  that 
He  had  saved  me  in  spite  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
This  statement  gave  mortal  offense,  and  the  rod  was 
at  once  put  in  pickle  for  me.  After  our  return  to 
Jacksonville  there  ensued  a  coolness  between  me  and 
the  official  board  of  the  society  resulting  from  our 
difference  of  opinion  which  had  arisen  at  the  camp- 
meeting,  and  they  resolved  to  bring  me  to  terms.  As 
I  was  one  day  walking  the  streets,  I  felt  suddenly 
a  sense  of  pressure  on  soul  and  body  which  was  so 
severe  as  to  take  away  my  strength  and  make  my 
knees  quake.  I  could  not  imagine  what  the  cause 
might  be  as  I  was  in  my  usual  health,  and  had  had 
no  similar  feelings  before  this.  I  walked  on  until 
I  arrived  at  the  grocery  store  of  Brother  Leo.  C.  Ebey, 


90  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

who  was  one  of  the  stewards  of  Brooklyn  church.  He 
called  to  me  and  informed  me  that  the  members  of 
the  official  board  of  the  church  wished  to  have  a 
conference  with  me  and  were  to  meet  at  once  at  a 
point  designated  where  we  would  not  be  interrupted. 
I  started  at  once  for  the  place  of  meeting.  I  now 
knew  the  cause  of  my  strange  attack ;  Satan  was  en- 
deavoring to  disqualify  me  for  the  trial  awaiting  me. 
As  I  walked  along  I  cried  to  God  for  help.  I  felt 
as  though  I  had  no  strength  to  withstand  anything. 
Soon  I  began  to  feel  relief,  and  strength  began  to  rise 
in  soul  and  body  so  that  before  reaching  the  appointed 
place  of  meeting  I  felt,  with  David,  "  By  my  God 
I  can  run  through  a  troop ;  by  my  God  I  can  leap  over 
a  wall."  I  felt  bold,  fearless,  and  independent.  When 
we  met,  the  brethren  appeared  to  he  confused  and 
hesitant,  and  no  one  seemed  willing  to  state  the  object 
of  the  meeting,  but  deferred  to  the  others.  After 
enjoying  their  confusion  for  a  short  time,  I  told  them 
that  I  thought  I  could  state  the  object  of  the  con- 
ference. They  then  told  me  that  they  had  decided 
that  if  I  would  not  recede  from  the  stand  taken  by 
me  at  the  camp-meeting,  they,  as  the  official  board 
of  the  society,  would  refuse  to  give  me  recommendation 
for  admission  to  conference,  and  for  local  deacon's 
orders.  I  told  them  that  those  matters  were  con- 
secrated so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  and  that  I  did  not 
care  a  fig  what  they  did  or  did  not  do  in  the  matter ; 
that  I  had  done  what  I  had  believed  to  be  right,  and 
that  I  was  still  of  the  same  mind,  and  could  not  be 
bought  off  or  intimidated.  This  ended  the  conference. 
In  a  short  time  the  quarterly  conference  of  the  charge 
met  and  without  any  request  on  my  part  they  gave 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  91 

me  both  recommendations  and  continued  my  firm 
friends  afterward.  I  have  just  lately  (Feb.  1910) 
visited  Brother  Leo.  C.  Ebey  in  Hermon,  California,  a 
suburb  of  Los  Angeles,  where  he  is  living  retired  at 
the  age  of  eighty-three,  having  for  years  been  a 
preacher  in  the  Free  Methodist  denomination,  but  at 
present  is  connected  with  no  sect.  The  other  members 
of  that  official  board  are  all  dead,  I  believe.  In  Sep- 
tember 1868,  my  wife  and  I  attended  the  annual  ses- 
sion of  the  Illinois  Conference  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  I 
took  with  me  a  recommendation  for  admission  to 
conference  as  a  probationer,  and  a  recommendation 
for  ordination  as  a  local  deacon.  This  could  be  con- 
ferred on  any  local  preacher  who  had  been  licensed 
for  four  years.  If  I  had  had  a  presiding  elder  to  push 
my  claims,  the  result  might  have  been  different,  but 
Dr.  Akers  had  no  ability  of  that  kind  and  though 
highly  respected,  he  had  little  influence  on  conference 
business.  My  enemies  among  the  preachers  opposed 
my  ordination  on  the  ground  of  my  disloyalty  to  the 
church  and  my  radicalism.  One  old  preacher  re- 
marked that  they  would  first  take  some  of  the  young 
America  out  of  the  young  man.  I  did  not  offer  my 
recommendation  for  admission  to  the  conference,  so 
that  was  not  refused  me.  This  left  the  door  open 
for  my  employment  as  a  supply,  the  capacity  in  which 
I  had  been  laboring.  And  before  the  conference 
closed,  Elder  Travis,  the  Presiding  Elder  of  the 
Decatur  District,  offered  me  the  position  of  supply 
pastor  of  the  M.  E.  society  at  Arcola,  Illinois.  He 
said  that  I  might  get  them  all  sanctified  if  I  wished 
to  as  they  needed  something  very  much.  I  also  needed 
work  very  much,  so  I  accepted  the  place.  On  my 


92  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

arrival  in  Arcola,  I  found  that  the  Presiding  Elder 
had  not  exaggerated  in  his  description  of  the  condition 
of  things ;  affairs  were  truly  in  a  lamentable  state. 
Many  members  had  been  admitted  who  had  never 
professed  conversion,  among  these  were  some  of  the 
leading  members  of  the  society.  The  class  leader 
claimed  to  be  back-slidden,  and  the  only  doubt  on  this 
point  was  whether  he  had  ever  had  anything  to, slide 
back  from.  The  most  influential  member  of  the  so- 
ciety was  Alonzo  L.  Clark,  a  banker  in  the  town.  He 
was  a  young  man  of  about  my  age,  of  fine  business 
abilities  and  an  excellent  man.  He  was  also  a  man  of 
fine  personal  appearance  and  generally  liked.  He  and 
I  soon  became  fast  friends  and  he  supported  me  in 
my  work  with  great  zeal.  The  society  had  been  un- 
fortunate in  the  men  who  had  been  pastors  over  them 
for  several  years.  They  had  not  been  spiritual  men 
and  had  looked  after  the  temporalities  more  than  after 
the  spiritual  interests  of  the  society.  I  began  at  once 
preaching  repentance.  The  rrfembers  took  my 
preaching  very  well  for  a  while,  but  soon  became 
restive  as  I  still  insisted  on  repentance.  They  began 
to  complain  and  to  demand  something  else.  So  I  took 
for  my  text  one  day  the  language  of  Isaiah  (Isaiah 
30:10)  "  Prophesy  not  unto  us  right  things,  speak  unto 
us  smooth  things,  prophesy  deceits."  I  told  the  con- 
gregation that  I  should  like  to  speak  upon  other  sub- 
jects ;  that  I  should  like  to  tell  them  about  heaven,  and 
how  happy  they  would  be  when  they  reached  there, 
but  I  feared  they  would  never  reach  heaven  without  a 
great  spiritual  change.  They  saw  my  point  of  view, 
and  some  of  the  society  fell  in  with  it,  while  others 
resented  it.  Thus  a  conflict  was  brought  on  which 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  93 

continued  during  my  stay  with  them.  In  the  first 
part  of  December  I  began  a  series  of  meetings  which 
continued  without  interruption  for  sixteen  weeks. 
There  was  preaching  every  night  except  Saturday 
night  of  each  week  and  the  regular  services  on  Sunday. 
Also  social  meetings  each  afternoon.  I  was  young 
and  strong  and  could  endure  almost  any  amount  of 
physical  and  mental  labor,  and  I  did  not  spare  myself. 
I  did  all  the  preaching  during  the  meeting  except  for 
the  assistance  of  Brother  W.  B.  M.  Colt  for  about  a 
week  and  three  or  four  other  sermons.  I  also  led  the 
singing  and  did  considerable  public  praying.  The 
meetings  became  quite  interesting  and  excited  a  good 
deal  of  comment  in  the  country  round  about.  Its  in- 
fluence extended  beyond  the  borders  of  the  Methodist 
society,  and  the  Presbyterians  and  "  Campbellites " 
found  it  necessary  to  start  meetings  in  self  protection. 
But  they  could  not  hold  out  long  enough ;  their 
preachers  would  wear  out  and  quit.  One  of  them 
expressed  a  wonder  that  I  could  hold  out  so  long. 
When  I  was  informed  of  his  remark,  I  sent  him  word 
that  to  keep  machinery  from  wearing  it  must  be  kept 
well  oiled.  These  preachers  seemed  to  lack  the  oil. 
During  the  whole  time  of  the  series  of  meetings  there 
was  a  factional  opposition  kept  up.  A  local  preacher 
by  the  name  of  Shirley  was  the  head  of  this  faction. 
When  it  was  evident  that  the  meetings  were  proving 
a  success,  these  opposing  preachers  wished  to  assist 
in  the  work  to  build  up  the  society.  They  urged 
this  upon  me,  and  I  would  gladly  have  had  help,  but  I 
"  feared  them  when  they  brought  gifts."  I  knew  they 
were,  at  heart,  enemies  to  the  work  of  God,  so  I  in- 
curred their  enmity  by  refusing  to  let  them  occupy  the 


94  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

pulpit.  They  were  free  to  labor  in  the  meetings  other- 
wise. Just  before  the  close  of  the  revival  meetings, 
the  Second  Quarterly  Conference  for  the  year  was 
held.  The  Presiding  Elder  publicly  commended  the 
work  that  had  been  done  and  declared  the  society  to 
be  in  the  best  condition  he  had  ever  seen  it.  But  a 
strong  effort  was  made  privately  by  my  enemies  to 
have  me  removed  from  my  pastorate.  They  said  that 
I  would  divide  the  church  and  ruin  things  generally. 
They  probably  believed  what  they  said,  though  I  had 
not  thought  of  doing  anything  of  the  kind.  As  the 
Presiding  Elder  had  taken  the  responsibility  to  employ 
me  while  I  was  under  the  ban  of  the  Annual  Confer- 
ence, it  made  him  afraid  of  the  consequences,  thinking 
he  would  be  blamed  if  any  trouble  ensued.  And 
though  he  was  friendly  toward  me,  he  had  no  real 
sympathy  with  the  work  I  was  doing,  and  did  not  in- 
tend to  run  any  risk  of  injuring  himself  in  its  support. 
He  wrote  me  a  friendly  letter  telling  me  that  he  wished 
to  save  me  to  the  church  and  advising  moderation.  I 
was  equally  frank  in  my  reply  and  told  him  that  his 
labor  to  save  me  would  be  in  vain,  as  I  was  too  badly 
spoiled  for  any  antiseptic  that  he  could  apply.  I  did 
not  wish  to  leave  him  in  doubt  as  to  my  intentions  to 
stand  by  my  principles. 

Meanwhile  my  wife  and  I  had  removed  from  the 
hotel  where  we  had  boarded  for  several  months,  and 
were  staying  with  Brother  David  McCord  and  wife, 
who  had  professed  salvation  in  the  meetings.  They 
were  Presbyterians  but  .had  been  reached  by  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Gospel  I  preached.  About  the  first  of  April 
I  began  to  notice  that  my  wife  had  symptoms  of 
mania;  the  first  symptoms  I  did  not  recognize.  She 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  95 

began  to  destroy  some  little  trinkets  that  she  had 
discarded  when  she  professed  salvation,  as  also  some 
of  mine.  I  let  her  have  her  way  about  these  things  as 
they  were  not  of  much  value.  But  soon  she  proceeded 
to  destroy  articles  of  clothing;  then  I  saw  what  the 
trouble  was.  Her  mania  took  the  form  of  melancholia, 
and  she  was  not  violent.  I  was  prostrated  by  the 
discovery  of  her  condition  and  could  neither  sleep  nor 
eat  for  a  time.  But  I  soon  saw  that  this  would  not 
do,  that  God's  will  must  be  submitted  to,  and  I  was 
in  a  short  time  enabled  so  to  give  the  matter  up  to  God 
that  He  gave  me  a  wonderful  deliverance  from  my 
burden  so  that  my  cheerfulness  was  restored,  and  I 
was  better  qualified  to  take  care  of  my  wife.  As  I 
could  not  attend  to  my  work  as  pastor  of  a  congregation 
and  take  care  of  my  wife  at  the  same  time  I  decided 
to  resign  my  charge,  which  I  did  promptly.  But  be- 
fore writing  my  letter  of  resignation,  realizing  what 
those  who  had  been  saved  from  sin  under  my  labors 
would  have  to  endure  if  they  remained  in  the  Metho- 
dist society,  I  wrote  them  letters  of  dismissal  which 
they  could  use  or  not  as  they  should  choose.  I  pro- 
vided a  way  of  escape  for  them.  This  act  greatly 
enraged  the  M.  E.  leaders  when  they  found  that  the 
net  was  broken  and  the  prey  had  escaped.  I  did  it 
from  a  sense  of  duty  as  their  spiritual  guide. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
I  LEAVE  THE  METHODIST  SECT. 

I  wish,  in  passing,  to  contradict  a  report  which  has 
been  circulated,  to  the  effect  that  I  was  excluded  from 
the  Methodist  society  for  immoral  conduct.  No 
charges  of  any  character  were  ever  preferred  against 
me  while  I  was  a  Methodist.  Nor  was  I  ever  accused 
so  far  as  I  know,  of  any  indiscretion  even.  This  is 
true  of  me  from  the  time  I  united  with  the  Methodists 
at  fourteen  years  of  age  until  I  left  them ;  and  I 
brand  as  a  vile  and  malicious  slander  any  statement 
to  the  contrary.  About  the  first  of  April,  1869,  after 
a  pastorate  of  six  months,  having  resigned  my  charge 
at  Arcola,  I  took  my  wife  to  her  people  at  Winchester, 
Illinois,  that  she  might  be  properly  taken  care  of.  Her 
mania  was  not  violent,  but  she  required  constant 
watching  day  and  night.  In  spite  of  our  vigilance  she 
got  hold  of  a  pair  of  shears  and  cut  off  her  hair.  She 
had  beautiful  golden  brown  hair  and  quite  an  abun- 
dance of  it.  She  refused  to  recognize  her  friends  and 
claimed  not  to  know  any  of  them.  Her  trouble  was 
melancholia,  and  as  frequently  happens  in  such  cases, 
she  refused  food  and  had  to  be  forced  to  take  nourish- 
ment. I  would  put  her  to  bed  and  lie  in  front  of  her 
with  doors  and  windows  fastened  so  that  she  could 
not  leave  the  room  without  arousing  me.  On  the  6th 
of  June  she  was  confined  with  a  girl  baby,  which  I 

96 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  97 

named  Ruth.  She  was  a  tiny  child,  weighing  but 
three  and  one-half  pounds,  but  prenaturally  bright  and 
intelligent.  Her  mother  before  her  confinement  had 
longed  for  apples  and  I  had  provided  them  as  long 
as  I  could  procure  them,  as  they  were  quite  scarce. 
The  child  when  a  few  weeks  old  could  smell  an  apple 
if  it  was  in  the  room  with  her.  Her  mother  refused 
to  recognize  her  child  or  to  nurse  it  and  we  had  to 
provide  artificial  nourishment  for  her.  She  was  a 
delicate  child  and  the  prospect  of  raising  her  for 
a  while  was  quite  poor.  But  by  good  nursing  she  was 
kept  alive  and  improved  in  health.  I  was  able  to 
do  but  little  during  the  summer  of  1869  but  take  care 
of  my  wife.  On  Sunday  I  sometimes  got  away  to 
preach  a  sermon.  In  August  of  that  year  occurred 
a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun,  visible  in  Illinois.  It  was 
a  very  grand  spectacle,  but  I  could  not  persuade  my 
wife  to  notice  it.  I  had  hoped  that  after  her  con- 
finement she  would  at  once  recover  her  reason,  but 
for  three  months  or  near  that  long  I  could  see  little 
improvement  in  her  condition,  so  I  determined  to 
try  a  change  of  scene  as  a  remedy  and  took  my  wife 
to  Ohio  to  visit  my  parents.  It  was  humiliating  to 
be  compelled  to  take  her  to  them  in  her  insane  con- 
dition as  they  had  never  seen  her  as  yet.  But  the 
hope  of  her  improvement  outweighed  every  other 
consideration.  We  started  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember, going  by  way  of  Toledo  and  Cleveland.  In 
the  presence  of  strangers,  my  wife  was  able  to  con- 
trol herself  and  to  conceal  her  condition.  I  had  no 
trouble  with  her  on  the  trip,  and  we  arrived  at  my 
father's  house  the  second  day  of  the  trip.  My  wife 
was  naturally  reserved  and  reticent  except  with  her 


98  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

most  intimate  friends.  She  now  had  nothing  to  say 
to  any  one  except  to  answer  an  occasional  question 
and  for  a  few  days  I  could  see  no  improvement  in 
her  condition  and  I  became  discouraged  about  her  and 
went  to  the  Lord  about  her  case.  I  seemed  to  get 
encouragement  from  the  Lord  that  she  would  get 
well  and  shortly  she  began  visibly  to  improve.  She 
took  a  fancy  to  my  oldest  sister  and  wandered  around 
the  orchards  and  fields  with  her,  talking  with  her. 
Her  improvement  became  rapid  and  in  a  month  after 
our  arrival  in  Ohio,  she  seemed  about  well.  I  held 
a  number  of  meetings  while  at  my  father's,  my  wife 
going  with  me  to  the  meetings  toward  the  last.  My 
father's  youngest  brother  Ephraim  Harshman,  who 
was  considered  one  of  the  best  Methodists  in  the  com- 
munity, became  interested  in  the  preaching  and  before 
my  return  to  Illinois  was  gloriously  saved.  His  sim- 
plicity after  his  new  experience  was  remarkable.  If 
he  did  not  understand  anything  I  said  while  preaching 
he  would  interrupt  me  to  ask  a  question.  This  morti- 
fied his  relatives.  For  two  or  three  days  after  his 
conversion  he  was  so  filled  with  the  presence  of  God 
that  he  could  scarcely  eat  or  sleep.  He  arose  one 
evening  in  the  meeting  and  told  of  an  occurrence  of 
his  past  life  that  troubled  him.  At  one  time  he  and 
his  brother,  George,  had  lived  in  Pennsylvania.  Uncle 
Ephraim  was  about  to  revisit  that  state  when  his 
brother,  George  W.,  asked  him  to  take  a  small  sum  of 
money  and  pay  it  to  a  merchant  there,  to  whom  he 
(George  W.)  owed  it.  He  took  the  money  and  on  his 
way  to  Pennsylvania  thought  that  he  would  see  if  he 
could  outwit  the  merchant,  who  was  a  Jew.  So  when 
he  met  the  merchant  he  remarked  about  his  brother 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  99 

owing  the  debt  and  asked  the  Jew  if  he  would  throw 
off  a  dollar  of  the  amount  if  he  would  pay  it.  The 
merchant  agreed  to  do  so,  and  he  kept  the  dollar. 
Now  he  said  he  felt  that  this  was  not  honest  and  he 
wished  to  make  reparation.  But  he  said  that  he  was 
not  clear  as  to  whom  he  owed  the  money.  So  to  make 
sure  he  would  repay  both  of  them  if  he  could.  He 
did  not  know  just  where  the  merchant  had  gone  but 
his  brother  was  present  in  the  meeting.  About  six- 
teen years  had  elapsed  and  at  simple  interest  the 
amount  had  doubled.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  lest  the  devil 
should  get  the  advantage  of  me  I  have  given  S.  R. 
the  two  dollars  to  keep  until  I  call  for  it."  And 
coming  forward  to  the  pulpit,  -he  called  for  the  money. 
I  handed  it  over  to  him  and  he  offered  it  to  his  brother. 
He  did  not  want  to  take  it,  but  Uncle  Ephraim  in- 
sisted and  to  close  the  incident  he  took  it,  though  un- 
willingly. He  did  all  this  so  simply  and  with  as 
little  self-consciousness  as  a  little  child.  Indeed,  he 
seemed  to  me  the  best  illustration  of  what  Jesus  said 
about  our  becoming  as  little  children,  that  I  had  ever 
seen.  After  about  a  month's  visit  with  my  parents 
my  wife  seemed  to  have  recovered  her  mental  balance, 
and  we  returned  to  Winchester,  Illinois.  Our  little 
girl  had  been  pretty  well  during  our  absence,  in  the 
care  of  Brother  and  Sister  Shearer.  When  I  had  re- 
moved to  Winchester  with  my  afflicted  wife  in  the 
spring  of  1869,  I  had  withdrawn  from  the  M.  E.  de- 
nomination, feeling  that  I  could  not  labor  in  that 
communion  without  constant  friction.  I  still  believed 
their  doctrines,  but  my  preaching  of  those  doctrines 
gave  offense.  I  insisted  too  strongly  on  purity  of  heart 
and  life;  and  1  had  lost  my  zeal  for  the  upbuilding 


100  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

of  their   sectarian   interests.     I   was   intent  only  on 
building  up  the  kingdom  of  God.    My  relation  to  the 
Church  of  Christ  was  not  clear  to  me ;  I  seemed  to 
be  on  the  outside.    Shortly  after  going  to  Winchester, 
I  met  Dr.  Akers ;  he  remarked  to  me,  "  I  understand 
that  you  are  out  of  the  church."     I  replied,  "  Yes, 
out  of  the  visible  church;  I  am  still  in  the  invisible 
church."    He  said,  "  There  is  no  such  church."    That 
was  a  poser  to  me.    The  Methodist  catechism  taught 
that  there  is  an  invisible  church,  composed  of  all  true 
believers,   but   Dr.   Akers'   opinion   had   considerable 
weight  with  me,  and  I  began  to  look  the  matter  up  in 
the  scriptures.    I  examined  the  catechism  to  find  what 
scriptural  proofs  were  given  for  the  existence  of  an 
invisible  church.     To  my  surprise,  I  found  some  of 
the  same  texts  of  scripture  given  as  proof  of  an  in- 
visible church  as  were  given  for  proofs  of  a  visible 
church.     I   saw  at  once  that  the  same  passages  of 
scripture  could  not  prove  the  Church  of  Christ  both 
visible  and  invisible.    I  felt  that  I  had  been  trifled  with ; 
I  could  not  find  a  particle  of  proof  in  the  scriptures 
of  an  invisible  church.     Then,  I  could  not  be  in  it 
if  there  was  no  such  thing.     I  could  find  a  church 
spoken  of  that  was  the  "  light  of  the  world,"  but  it 
could  not  be  invisible.     I  read  of  one  that  is  "  a  city 
set  upon  a  hill  that  cannot  be  hid,"  but  it  is  certainly 
not  invisible.     That  was  the  one  I  wished  to  belong 
to  if  I  could  find  it.     Then  I  began  to  search  for  the 
description   of   the   visible    Church   of   Christ.      The 
M.  E.  catechism  defined  it  as  being  "  A  congregation 
of  faithful  men,  among  whom  the  pure  word  of  God 
is  preached,  and  the  sacraments  duly  administered  ac- 
cording to  Christ's  ordinance."    I  was  willing  to  accept 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  101 

that  definition,  and  by  it  to  locate  the  visible  church. 
I  found  that  nearly  everything  claiming  to  be  the 
visible  Church  of  Christ  fell  short  of  these  character- 
istics. In  the  first  place,  I  could  not  find  a  congre- 
gation of  faithful  men.  All  the  congregations  within 
my  knowledge  were  composed  mostly  or  entirely  of 
men  confessing  themselves  unfaithful,  very  unfaithful. 
I  did  not  need  to  judge  them,  they  judged  themselves. 
Then,  as  a  rule,  the  pure  word  of  God  was  not 
preached  among  them,  or  they  would  not  have  been 
in  this  condition.  As  to  the  sacraments,  I  did  not 
know  about  them ;  I  did  not  find  the  word  mentioned 
in  the  New  Testament.  I  concluded  that  being  out- 
side of  these  congregations  of  unfaithful  men,  among 
whom  the  pure  word  of  God  was  not  preached  could 
be  no  great  detriment  to  me,  and  I  decided  to  stay 
out.  And  if  I  could  not  find  a  congregation  of  faithful 
men,  I  would  endeavor  to  gather  one.  I  could  find 
some  faithful  men  and  women,  but  not  congregations 
of  them.  It  soon  dawned  upon  me  that  these  con- 
gregations of  unfaithful  men,  instead  of  being  visible 
churches  of  Christ,  were  visible  synagogues  of  Satan, 
and  dangerous  enclosures  for  Christians  to  be  found 
in.  I  saw  that  these  unfaithful  congregations,  destitute 
of  spirituality  and  unity,  warring  among  themselves, 
constituted  spiritual  Babylon,  and  that  God  was  calling 
His  people  out  of  them.  I  began  to  perceive  the  danger 
of  unholy  fellowship  and  to  sound  the  warning.  This 
soon  caused  the  houses  of  worship  to  be  closed  against 
me  and  forced  me  into  halls  and  school  houses  and 
groves.  Brother  A.  C.  Armentrout  had  come  out 
from  the  Methodists  about  the  time  when  I  came  out 
and  we  often  labored  together.  He  was  the  older 


102  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

man,  and  I  recognized  him  as  the  leader.  I  learned 
from  the  New  Testament  that  the  Church  of  Christ 
is  a  spiritual  body  and  not  a  carnal  organization ;  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  had  prescribed  no  particular  form  of 
outward  organism,  as  all  acknowledge  to  be  the  fact, 
simply  because  He  did  not  intend  that  it  should 
have  any  such  organization;  that  to  organize  it  pro- 
motes schism,  contention  and  spiritual  death.  Having 
learned  that  the  Church  of  Christ  is  a  spiritual  body, 
I  had  some  carnal  ordinances  left  on  my  hands,  that 
I  did  not  know  what  to  do  with.  I  was  as  much  non- 
plussed what  to  do  with  water  baptism  as  Peter 
was  at  the  house  of  Cornelius ;  and  the  eucharist,  or 
Lord's  supper,  was  more  surplusage.  I  could  not 
celebrate  or  practice  them  until  I  understood  their 
significance  and  intention;  and  I  would  not  repudiate 
them  until  I  could  give  sound,  conclusive,  scriptural 
reason  for  so  doing.  The  reasons  given  for  their 
rejection  by  the  people  called  Friends,  or  Quakers, 
did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  conclusive,  so  I  let  the 
question  rest  there  until  I  found  more  light. 

Meanwhile,  in  the  autumn  of  1869,  it  seemed  proper 
for  my  wife  and  me  to  go  to  housekeeping.  This 
was  so  clearly  my  duty,  that  I  rented  a  house  in 
Winchester,  with  the  understanding  that  we  should 
occupy  it  in  a  short  time.  We  had  been  living  with 
Brother  and  Sister  Shearer,  and  I  felt  sure  we  had 
burdened  them  long  enough,  as  my  wife  was  now 
fully  recovered.  But  we  were  destitute  of  means 
to  buy  furniture.  Brother  Armentrout  had  become 
discouraged  at  the  outlook  for  doing  good  in  the  face 
of  so  much  opposition  and  was  about  to  return  to 
the  bosom  of  the  "  church (?)."  He  was  much  cha- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  103 

grined  because  he  could  not  take  me  back  with  him 
and  was  no  longer  giving  me  encouragement,  and  I 
was  left  standing  alone.  The  Rev.  W.  B.  M.  Colt, 
a  brother-in-law  of  Brother  Armentrout,  had  left  the 
Methodists  about  the  time  we  did,  and  had  gone  to 
the  Free  Methodists.  There  were  a  few  brethren  in 
and  around  Winchester,  who  were  outside  of  sects, 
who  were  generally  Brother  Armentrout's  converts, 
but  they  had  contributed  to  my  support  as  well  as 
to  his.  I  let  it  be  understood  that  I  was  about 
to  go  to  housekeeping,  but  said  nothing  about  my  need 
of  help.  I  had  covenanted  with  the  Lord  to  make 
my  wants  known  to  none  but  Him,  and  to  trust  Him 
entirely  for  a  support.  The  Methodist  minister  in 
Winchester,  who  was  an  old  friend,  had  warned  me 
that  this  was  unsafe  and  would  land  me  in  infidelity. 
But  I  replied  that  God  had  ordained  that  those  who 
preached  the  gospel  should  live  of  the  gospel,  and 
had  declared  that  if  we  sought  first  His  kingdom 
and  righteousness,  all  necessary  temporal  things  should 
be  added,  and  I  believed  so  strongly  that  it  was  true, 
that  I  was  willing  to  put  it  to  the  test;  and  if  God 
failed  me  and  I  became  an  infidel,  I  would  then  be 
in  his  class ;  but  I  would  not  charge  God  with  t'alse- 
hood  until  I  had  proved  Him.  The  time  had  about 
arrived  for  me  to  go  to  housekeeping.  I  was  to  take 
possession  of  the  rented  house  on  Monday  of  the 
next  week.  It  was  now  Saturday  and  my  wife  had 
a  small  rocking  chair  and  a  small  table,  and  I  had 
ten  cents  in  money.  Brother  Armentrout  had  a  pretty 
good  idea  of  my  dilemma  and  was  much  amused  at 
it.  None  of  the  brethren  or  friends  had  mentioned 
the  matter  to  me ;  yet,  notwithstanding  the  hopeless- 


104  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

ness  of  the  outlook,  I  felt  serene  and  even  bouyant. 
I  wonder  now  as  I  look  back  at  the  circumstances, 
that  I  should  have  felt  so  confident.  I  seemed  to 
have  the  faith  the  poet  wrote  of: 

"  Faith,    mighty   faith,    the    promise    sees, 

And  looks  to  that  alone; 
Laughs  at  impossibilities, 

And  cries,  '  It  shall  be  done '." 

I  knew  that  something  had  to  occur  pretty  soon.  I 
went  up  town  on  Saturday  morning,  went  to  the 
post-office  and  received  a  letter  containing  eight  dollars. 
This  was  owed  to  my  wife  for  a  silver  watch  which 
she  had  sold.  We  purchased  with  this  amount  six- 
teen yards  of  rag  carpet.  My  wife's  health  was 
delicate,  and  as  the  floor  of  the  rented  house  was 
somewhat  open,  I  knew  the  carpet  was  a  necessity. 
I  carried  the  carpet  home  and  returned  up  town.  As 
I  turned  the  corner  on  to  the  public  square  a  friend 
spoke  to  me,  called  me  into  a  doorway,  and  gave  me 
ten  dollars.  I  started  on  and  before  I  had  gone  a 
block,  I  met  two  brethren  from  the  country.  They 
said  that  they  were  unable  to  rest  that  morning  as 
they  remembered  that  I  was  about  to  set  up  house- 
keeping, thinking  that  I  might  need  help ;  and  they 
had  come  to  town  to  see  about  it.  "  Now,"  said  they, 
"  what  do  you  need  ?  "  I  informed  them  that  I  was 
not  allowed  to  make  my  wants  known.  "  Well,"  said 
one  of  them,  "  what  have  you  got  ?  "  That  was  easy 
to  answer.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  I  began  house  keeping 
on  Monday  with  sufficient  furniture  to  make  us  com- 
fortable, though  some  of  it  was  second-hand  furni- 
ture, and  provisions  for  some  time  to  come.  God  did 
not  fail  me,  though  He  tried  my  faith  severely. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  105 

Sometime  during  the  fall  or  winter  Brother  Armen- 
trout  returned  to  the  Methodist  connection,  leaving 
me  alone  as  leader  of  the  brethren  outside  of  the  sects, 
in  that  part  of  the  country.  His  defection  was  quite 
a  blow  to  us,  and  tended  to  shake  the  confidence  of 
some.  The  prospect  before  us  was  not  flattering.  We 
were  few  in  number,  generally  poor  in  purse,  and 
looked  upon  with  general  disfavor.  The  meeting 
houses  had  been  shut  against  us,  and  we  had  to  resort 
to  school  houses,  halls  and  private  houses  for  meeting 
places.  Not  all  of  those  who  had  come  out  of  sects 
for  conscience  sake,  were  really  saved,  and  this  laid 
the  foundation  for  trouble  and  division.  However, 
no  serious  trouble  ensued.  We  held  meetings  regu- 
larly, and  I  did  considerable  preaching.  During  the 
winter  of  1869-70  I  received  word  from  the  brethren 
in  Arcola  of  trouble  there.  The  Rev.  W.  H.  Rayburn, 
a  Methodist  minister  who  had  once  visited  Arcola 
while  I  was  stationed  there,  had  got  some  wild  re- 
ligious theories,  among  other  things  concerning  the 
relation  of  the  sexes,  which  led  to  imprudent  conduct 
if  not  actual  immorality.  I  never  understood  clearly 
what  his  teachings  were.  Some  of  the  brethren  were 
affected  by  these  false  teachings,  and  others  appealed 
to  me  for  help.  My  wife  and  I  went  to  their  help, 
and  held  some  meetings  in  a  private  house.  Some  of 
the  enemies  among  the  Methodists  stirred  up  a  feeling 
of  opposition  to  me,  and  to  such  lengths  did  they 
carry  their  ill  feeling  that  the  mob  spirit  developed 
among  the  baser  sort.  I  was  notified  to  leave  town 
or  take  the  consequences.  I  was  not  yet  ready  to 
leave,  and  though  I  had  no  desire  to  fall  into  the  hands 
of  a  mob,  and  though  I  make  no  claim  to  great 


106  -HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

personal  courage,  I  decided  to  take  the  consequences, 
and  did  not  leave  on  the  first  train  as  directed  to 
do.  When  my  enemies  found  that  I  would  not  run, 
their  fierceness  cooled  off  and  discretion,  the  better 
part  of  valor,  prevailed  among  them.  I  procured  a 
public  hall  and  preached  in  it  on  Sunday  morning  and 
announced  that  I  would  leave  town  that  night.  I  fear 
there  was  a  little  bravado  in  that  announcement,  and 
it  was  unwise.  I  should  have  gone  off  without  giving 
my  enemies  notice.  The  train  for  the  north  left  about 
midnight,  and  while  my  wife  and  I  and  some  of  the 
brethren  were  standing  on  the  platform  awaiting1  it 
a  shower  of  eggs  was  thrown  at  us.  The  miscreants 
threw  the  eggs  and  then  ran,  but  they  were  overtaken 
by  some  of  my  friends  and  their  names  returned  to  the 
next  grand  jury.  But  the  grand  jury  refused  to  in- 
dict them,  thus  notifying  me  that  I  was  outside  of 
the  protection  of  the  law.  I  was  untouched  by  an 
egg,  but  my  wife's  skirt  was  somewhat  soiled  by 
them. 

My  mother's  youngest  brother,  Samuel  Jones,  had 
removed  from  Indiana  and  was  on  his  way  to  Mis- 
souri, going  by  wagon,  and  had  stopped  in  Homer, 
Illinois,  to  spend  the  winter,  and  we  were  intending 
to  visit  his  family  before  returning  to  Winchester, 
and  went  directly  from  Arcola  to  Homer.  It  was 
somewhat  humiliating  to  my  wife  to  meet  them  in 
such  a  plight,  but  she  did  not  shrink  from  the  ordeal. 
We  made  the  visit  despite  the  evidences  of  the  parting 
tribute  of  the  toughs  of  Arcola.  In  the  spring  of  1870 
I  went  to  Manchester  by  invitation  to  hold  a  series 
of  meetings,  my  wife  and  child  accompanying  me. 
The  Methodists  refused  me  the  use  of  their  house, 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  107 

but  the  Baptists  opened  their  doors  to  me.  I  occupied 
their  house  for  more  than  a  week,  preaching  each 
night  and  twice  on  Sunday.  They  kept  questioning 
me  about  my  views  on  water  baptism,  but  I  avoided 
the  subject  until  light  began  to  percolate  into  my  un- 
derstanding on  that  subject.  It  became  quite  plain 
and  clear  to  me  that  Jesus  did  not  intend  that  His 
church  should  use  that  ordinance;  that  it  was  super- 
seded by  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  When  I 
once  got  the  idea  the  scriptural  proofs  began  to  crowd 
upon  my  memory,  and  I  announced  that  I  would 
preach  upon  the  subject.  I  thought  I  would  do  so  in 
two  discourses,  but  concluded  to  crowd  the  matter 
into  one  discourse,  fearing  that  the  doors  would  be 
closed  against  a  second  discourse.  My  fears  were- 
well  founded.  The  Baptist  preacher,  who  had  charge 
of  that  congregation,  had  been  absent  from  town,  but 
had  returned  in  time  to  hear  my  sermon  on  baptism. 
After  I  closed,  he  arose  and  made  some  very  abusive 
remarks,  which  of  course  harmed  no  person  but  him- 
self. It  afterward  developed  that  he  was  at  this  time 
a  bigamist  and  he  was  afterward  convicted  of  bigamy 
in  a  court  of  law.  He  then  went  under  the  name  of 
Wells,  one  of  his  assumed  names.  After  this  discourse, 
the  Baptists  closed  their  doors  against  me,  which 
closed  the  meetings.  My  sermon  on  baptism  made  a 
deep  impression,  however,  in  the  community,  and 
many  thought  I  proved  my  position  to  be  scriptural. 
During  the  latter  days  of  the  meeting  we  stopped  with 
a  family  by  the  name  of  Sanders,  who  were  favorably 
disposed  toward  the  gospel  I  preached.  Meanwhile 
the  measles  broke  out  in  their  family  and  we  were 
quarantined  and  compelled  to  stay  until  released  by 


108  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  authorities.  This  exposed  our  little  daughter  to 
the  contagion  and  she  soon  broke  out  with  the  disease. 
She  was  so  delicate  that  we  had  reason  to  fear  the 
result.  The  disease  progressed  favorably  for  a  while 
until  it  seemed  time  for  the  irruption  to  begin  to  dis- 
appear when  it  went  to  her  throat  and  nothing  could 
save  her  from  slow  strangulation.  She  died  on  March 
25,  1870,  being  nine  months  and  nineteen  days  old. 
She  had  not  yet  been  put  into  short  clothes,  she  was 
so  small,  weighing  only  fourteen  pounds  at  the  time 
of  her  death.  She  was  a  sweet  little  blossom,  soon 
transplanted  from  this  rough  world  to  bloom  in  para- 
dise. We  took  her  body  to  Winchester  and  laid  it  to 
rest  in  the  cemetery  there. 

In  April,  Nannie  and  I  visited  her  relatives  near 
Waverly,  Illinois.  I  had  never  seen  any  of  her  near 
relatives  except  her  youngest  sister,  Charity,  who  had 
married  Dr.  Ned  Metcalf,  and  then  lived  at  Tallula, 
in  Menard  county,  Illinois.  We  visited  her  uncles, 
Robert  and  Jefferson  Van  Winkle,  and  her  brother-in- 
law,  Matthew  Kennedy,  whose  first  wife,  Nannie's 
sister,  Mary,  had  died  years  before,  leaving  one  child, 
a  daughter.  Her  brothers  had  all  left  Waverly  except 
Isham  Burnett,  whom  we  met  on  the  highway.  He 
was  about  to  leave  for  the  southwest.  I  have  never 
seen  any  of  her  other  brothers.  We  also  visited  her 
uncle,  Isham  Burnett,  who  had  been  her  guardian. 
Uncle  Robert  VanWinkle  had  an  ancient  colored 
woman  in  his  family  who  had  once  been  a  slave  of 
his  father's  in  Kentucky.  When  asked  if  she  knew  my 
wife,  she  replied,  "  Yes,  its  Thirza's  gal."  Nannie's 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Thirza  VanWinkle. 
Nannie  enjoyed  this  visit  among  her  relatives  very 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  109 

much.  In  the  following  summer,  as  the  time  of  her 
second  confinement  drew  near,  she  began  to  show 
symptoms  of  a  return  of  mental  derangement.  I  was 
kept  closely  at  home  during  the  entire  summer,  and 
to  pass  the  time  and  find  employment,  I  raised  a  large 
garden.  As  I  spent  much  time  in  cultivating  it,  it  gave 
me  large  returns.  I  usually  preached  on  Sundays; 
we  held  regular  meetings  at  Brother  Shearer's  resi- 
dence. These  meetings  continued  for  a  number  of 
years  every  Sunday  morning.  About  the  first  of  Au- 
gust, my  wife's  mental  condition  became  such  that  I 
had  to  take  her  to  Brother  Shearer's  to  take  care  of 
her  properly,  and  on  the  first  of  September  she  was 
confined,  presenting  me  with  another  daughter,  but  it 
could  not  be  resuscitated  after  birth.  My  wife  was 
also  near  to  death  from  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs,  but 
finally  pulled  through.  Her  mental  condition  was  not 
nearly  so  bad  as  with  her  first  child  and  she  soon 
recovered  her  sanity. 

In  August  of  that  year  I  attended  a  camp-meeting 
near  Lena  in  Stevenson  county,  Illinois,  which  had  been 
appointed  by  some  brethren  in  that  part  of  the  state 
under  the  leadership  of  Lyman  H.  Johnson,  a  former 
Presbyterian  minister,  who  had  come  out  from  the 
Presbyterians  and  was  preaching  against  sects,  and 
also  publishing  a  little  periodical  called  "  The  Stumb- 
ling Stone."  A  copy  of  the  paper  had  fallen  into  my 
hands  and  I  had  a  desire  to  meet  the  publisher.  There 
were  quite  a  number  tented  on  the  grounds,  and  a 
fair  congregation  gathered  to  hear  preaching.  But 
a  spirit  of  fanaticism  seemed  to  dominate  the  meetings, 
making  it  impossible  to  do  much  preaching.  A  few 
women  who  imagined  they  had  the  wonderful  and 


110  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

miraculous  gift  of  discernment  of  spirits,  were  allowed 
to  have  things  their  own  way,  and  confusion  naturally 
resulted.  Mr.  Johnson  did  not  seem  to  know  what  to 
do  in  the  matter.  I  made  one  attempt  to  preach  but 
was  compelled  to  desist  before  I  finished.  There  were 
some  good  people  present  but  there  was  no  leader, 
and  no  apparent  good  was  done.  This  meeting  was 
a  means  of  education  to  me.  In  the  fall  Mr.  Johnson 
visited  Winchester  and  preached  in  the  vicinity.  In 
the  spring  of  1871  we  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Ar- 
cola.  I  thought  the  brethren  there  needed  my  presence 
among  them  for  a  while.  We  lived  in  a  room  of 
Brother  James  Schouten's  house  a  mile  southwest  of 
Arcola.  While  visiting  Arcola  during  the  winter  be- 
fore moving  to  the  vicinity  I  engaged  to  hold  meetings 
in  a  school  house  two  or  three  miles  east  of  the  town. 
Two  of  the  school  trustees  had  given  their  consent 
for  the  use  of  the  house,  but  the  third  trustee  opposed 
its  use  by  me.  So  bitter  was  his  opposition  that,  though 
a  professed  Christian,  he  raised  a  mob  and  threatened 
to  keep  us  out  by  force.  I  was  staying  at  the  house 
of  his  son-in-law,  Brother  Cooley,  at  the  time.  As 
we  were  on  our  way  to  the  meeting  place,  the  mob 
met  us  and  made  so  much  noise  that  they  frightened 
Brother  Cooley's  team,  which  turned  and  ran,  taking 
us  out  of  danger.  The  other  two  trustees  insisted  on 
my  going  on  with  the  meeting,  but  I  saw  there  would 
be  a  clash  and  probably  somebody  injured  and  I  de- 
clined to  proceed  further.  The  old  man  was  also  re- 
turned to  the  grand  jury  by  the  other  trustees  for  his 
lawlessness,  and  again  the  grand  jury  refused  to  indict. 
I  held  meetings  in  various  places  during  the  summer 
of  1871.  In  June,  my  wife  and  I  attended  another 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  Ill 

i 

camp-meeting  at  Lena,  and  found  things  in  a  better 
condition  than  in  the  previous  year.  After  the  meeting 
we  went  home  with  Mr.  Johnson,  who  lived  in  Illinois, 
near  Beloit,  Wisconsin,  and  visited  in  his  family  a  short 
time.  I  found  them  living  on  a  forty  acre  farm  of 
their  own,  and  exercising  great  frugality  in  order  to 
save  money  for  the  publication  of  his  paper  "  The 
Stumbling  Stone."  While  there,  he  and  I"  visited  in 
Chicago  to  attend  some  meetings  in  lower  Farwell 
Hall,  appointed  by  Dwight  L.  Moody  for  the  discussion 
of  various  religious  topics.  There  were  two  sessions 
of  the  convention  each  day  and  preaching  at  night. 
The  majority  of  those  interested  in  the  meetings  were 
people  called  "  Plymouth  Brethren,"  who  were  anti- 
sectarians  and  Calvinists  of  the  most  pronounced  type. 
I  could  agree  with  them  in  their  opposition  to  sects, 
but  not  in  their  Antinomianism.  I  had  never  met  such 
ultra-Calvinists  before,  and  some  of  their  teachings 
astonished  me.  When  they  came  to  the  discussion  of 
"  The  finished  work  of  Christ  "  I  felt  compelled  to 
dissent  from  their  views,  and  to  maintain  the  doctrines 
of  Free  Will  and  Free  Agency.  They  seemed  to  argue 
in  a  circle  and  paid  no  attention,  as  a  rule,  to  anything 
said  on  the  other  side  of  the  question,  nor  did  they 
make  any  attempt  to  harmonize  scripture.  They  quoted 
Jesus'  words  "  He  that  believeth  hath  everlasting  life, 
and  shall  not  come  into  condemnation,  but  is  passed 
from  death  unto  life  "  to  prove  that  no  one  who  had 
once  believed  could  ever  be  lost.  I  showed  them  that 
such  an  interpretation  was  absurd,  since  the  following 
words  so  interpretated  would  prove  universal  damna- 
tion :  "  He  that  believeth  not  shall  not  see  life,  but  the 
wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him."  If  one  act  of  faith 


112  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

inevitably  saved,  one  act  of  unfaith  inevitably  damned. 
And  as  God  had  concluded  all  under  unbelief,  then  all 
were  inevitably  lost.  I  showed  that  present  faith 
brought  present  salvation,  and  present  unbelief  brought 
present  condemnation.  That  future  salvation  de- 
pended on  continuance  in  faith,  and  future  damnation 
upon  continuance  in  unbelief.  My  arguments  seemed 
to  make  no  impression,  however;  they  seemed  im- 
mune against  conviction.  Antinomianism  is  a  very 
subtle  and  a  very  dangerous  error.  Mr.  Moody 
seemed  to  be  in  sympathy  with  this  plan  of  religious 
teaching  and  afterward,  when  he  became  famous  as 
an  evangelist,  he  taught  it,  though  not  in  an  offensive 
manner.  In  order  to  satisfy  my  own  mind  as  to  this 
teaching,  I  put  this  question  to  its  advocates :  "  Is 
a  Christian  under  any  obligation  to  keep  God's  com- 
mandments ? "  They  would  not  give  me  a  direct 
reply  but  one  of  them,  a  Congregational  minister,  from 
Springfield,  Illinois,  an  able  man  and  a  pleasant  gen- 
tleman, said,  "  Let  me  answer  the  brother."  He  did 
so  by  means  of  this  illustration :  A  certain  man,  who 
was  crossing  the  Atlantic  Ocean  on  a  steamship,  saw 
on  board  a  slave  and  his  owner.  He  felt  sorry  for 
the  enslaved  man  and  approached  his  master  with  an 
offer  to  purchase  his  slave.  This  was  agreed  to  and 
the  transfer  was  made.  Then  the  new  master  called 
the  slave  and  gave  to  him  his  freedom.  Upon  hearing 
of  his  freedom,  the  ex-slave  fell  down  at  the  feet  of 
his  deliverer,  exclaiming,  "  Then  am  I  thy  willing 
slave  forever."  That  is,  he  owed  his  deliverer  nothing 
but  gratitude.  I  had  supposed  that  it  was  the  devil's 
service  that  salvation  delivers  us  from,  and  not  the 
service  of  God.  St.  Paul  calls  himself  the  "  slave  " 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  113 

(doulos)  of  Jesus  Christ.  However,  this  consequence 
naturally  follows  from  the  Calvinistic  view  of  the 
atonement.  If  Christ  died  and  suffered  for  us  all 
that  God  requires  of  us,  it  cannot  be  justly  exacted 
a  second  time.  This  teaching  takes  away  all  incentive 
for  good  works;  they  are  useless  if  not  dangerous. 
It  tears  them  up  by  the  roots.  Mr.  Moody  had  a 
house  of  worship  on  Illinois  street  and  he  invited  me 
to  preach  there  on  Sunday  morning,  and  I  complied 
with  his  request.  Mr.  Johnson  and  I  lodged,  on 
Saturday  night,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city, 
with  an  Episcopal  minister  of  his  acquaintance.  As 
it  was  Sunday  morning,  we  decided  to  walk  up  to 
Illinois  street,  instead  of  taking  the  car.  This  was 
a  mistake,  for  the  distance  was  greater  than  we  had 
thought  it,  and,  though  we  made  haste,  we  were  late, 
and  for  the  only  time  in  my  life  that  I  can  remember, 
I  kept  a  congregation  waiting.  After  preaching,  they 
had  communion  services;  at  the  conclusion  of  this 
service,  Mr.  Moody  took  me  home  with  him  to  dinner. 
In  the  afternoon  I  went  with  him  to  his  large  Sunday 
school.  I  thought  Mr.  Moody  a  pleasant,  agreeable 
gentleman,  unassuming  and  apparently  desiring  to 
learn.  He  was  not  a  great  man  intellectually,  but  he 
had  great  zeal.  The  thing  that  most  impressed  me 
about  all  his  labors  was  the  apparent  absence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  His  zeal  and  earnestness,  his  simplicity 
and  plainness  of  speech,  his  adhesion  to  the  scriptures, 
made  him  popular  and  famous ;  while  at  the  same  time 
there  was  in  his  gospel  none  of  the  offense  of  the 
cross.  I  am  thoroughly  convinced  that  he  builded 
"  wood,  hay  and  stubble." 


CHAPTER  X. 
CAMP-MEETINGS. 

In  August,  1871,  I  held  my  first  camp-meeting.  The 
site  was  in  Moultrie  county,  Illinois,  about  six  miles 
east  of  Sullivan,  on  the  farm  of  John  Ginn.  Early 
in  the  spring  of  that  year  Brother  Lark  Delana,  who 
had  lived  in  Sullivan,  had  brought  me  to  Sullivan  to 
hold  some  meetings ;  I  had  never  been  in  the  place 
before.  It  was  then  a  town  of  1,000  or  1,200  inhabi- 
tants, the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  county.  The  first 
family  I  put  up  with  was  that  of  Lee  Birchfield.  We 
procured  the  use  of  the  court  room  in  the  court  house 
in  which  to  hold  meetings.  The  first  service  was  on 
Saturday  night.  During  the  day  I  had  met  the  Chris- 
tian Campbellite  minister,  the  Rev.  N.  S.  Bastion, 
who  expressed  a  wish  that,  as  I  was  out  of  the  sects, 
I  might  find  my  way  into  his  church.  I  gave  him  no 
reason  to  hope  for  such  a  denouement.  I  had  a  fair 
audience  at  night  and  liberty  in  preaching.  My  enemies 
had  taken  advantage  of  Mr.  Rayburn's  teachings  in 
Arcola,  before  mentioned,  to  fasten  on  me  the  name 
of  "  free-lover  "  although  they  knew  that  I  had  op- 
posed his  teachings.  The  rumor  had  preceded  me  to 
Sullivan  that  a  free-lover  was  going  to  preach  and 
some  of  the  "  lewd  fellows  of  the  baser  sort "  had 
provided  themselves  with  eggs  to  throw  at  me  as  I 
came  out  of  the  court  house.  But  some  of  my  hearers. 

114 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  115 

knowing  of  this  intention,  hastened  out  and  informed 
them  of  their  mistake,  and  the  eggs  were  not  thrown. 
I  appointed  the  second  service  for  Sunday  afternoon 
when  there  were  no  other  services  in  the  town.  In 
the  morning  I  went  to  hear  Elder  Bastion  preach. 
He  had  been  a  leading  M.  E.  preacher  and  missionary 
to  Africa  for  that  denomination,  but  failing  to  make 
his  books  balance  and  being  called  to  account  for  his 
delinquency,  he  had  left  them  and  gone  to  the  Baptists 
and  finally  to  the  "  Christians."  He  had  published 
a  work  called  "  Babylon  in  Jehovah's  Monarchy " 
which,  though  lacking  plan  and  unity,  contained  con- 
siderable truth,  and  which  he  was  now  inclined  to 
repudiate.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable  ability,  but 
erratic.  On  this  Sunday  morning,  he  attacked  spiritual 
religion.  In  the  course  of  his  remarks  he  mentioned 
meeting  Brother  Delana  and  me  and  covertly  dis- 
paraged us.  At  the  close  of  the  service  I  asked  the 
liberty  to  make  an  announcement  and  published  the 
afternoon  service,  telling  the  congregation  that  I  would 
defend  spiritual  religion,  which  had  been  attacked  in 
the  sermon  just  preached,  and  invited  them  to  come 
out  to  hear  me.  I  had  quite  a  respectable  audience 
at  this  Sunday  afternoon  meeting,  in  which  I  began 
a  defence  of  spiritual  religion  and  an  attack  upon 
"  Campbellism."  I  continued  this  attack  on  Monday 
and  Tuesday  nights  with  large  attendance  and  wrapt 
attention.  The  Campbellites  were  very  superior  nu- 
merically to  the  Methodists  and  Presbyterians  and 
were  correspondingly  haughty  and  intolerant.  My 
attack  upon  Campbellism  pleased  these  other  sects 
and  tended  to  demoralize  the  Campbellites.  Indeed, 
so  great  was  the  effect  of  my  exposure  of  the  fallacies 


116  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

of  their  doctrines  that  for  a  time  they  were  stunned 
and  have  never  since  regained  their  former  ascendancy. 
At  the  close  of  the  meeting  on  Tuesday  night  the  Meth- 
odists invited  me  into  their  house,  and  on  Wednesday 
night  I  began  holding  meetings  therein.  I  had  mean- 
while sent  for  my  wife,  who  joined  me,  and  we  were 
treated  with  great  courtesy  by  the  leading  Methodists 
of  the  town  and  invited  to  their  houses.  The  meetings 
continued  with  large  attendance  for  about  two  weeks 
and  there  was  prospect  of  much  good  being  done. 
But  there  was  one  obstacle  in  the  way.  The  Methodist 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Arthur  Bradshaw,  professed  to  be 
in  harmony  with  the  work  going  on,  but  was  an  enemy 
at  heart,  and  all  that  he  said  or  did  in  the  meetings 
militated  against  their  success.  At  length  one  evening 
before  service  he  called  me  into  the  parsonage  and  in- 
formed me  that  the  Presiding  Elder,  Rev.  R.  N. 
Davies  had  written  him  to  close  the  house  against 
me.  I  felt  sure  that  he  had  solicited  such  orders.  He' 
asked  me  to  close  my  series  of  meetings  without  giving 
any  reason  for  so  doing.  I  told  him  that  I  would  cer- 
tainly close  the  meetings  in  the  M.  E.  house,  but 
would  give  my  reason  for  so  doing  and  put  the  re- 
sponsibility where  it  belonged.  My  announcement 
created  quite  a  sensation;  some  were  made  angry  and 
some  wept.  The  trustees  volunteered  to  keep  the 
house  open  if  I  would  use  it,  but  I  could  not  accede 
to  their  offer.  The  Presbyterians,  who  had  no  pastor 
at  the  time,  offered  me  the  use  of  their  house  and  I 
transferred  the  meetings  accordingly.  The  conduct 
of  Dr.  Davies  in  shutting  me  out  of  the  Methodist 
house  tended  to  give  me  a  brief  popularity  among  the 
outsiders  particularly,  that  was  offensive  to  me,  and 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  117 

to  avoid  this  I  did  something  which  proved  to  be  a 
serious  mistake.  Though  the  Lord  had  given  me  a 
place  to  preach  where  I  had  nothing  to  hamper  me, 
I  preached  a  few  sermons  to  large  audiences  and  then 
closed  the  meetings,  thinking  I  would  return  in  a  short 
time  and  resume  the  work.  The  Lord  had  set  before 
me  an  open  door  and  I  failed  to  appreciate  the  oppor- 
tunity. Some  persons  in  Lovington,  a  small  village 
ten  miles  north  of  Sullivan,  had  invited  me  to  hold 
meetings  there,  and  I  accepted  the  invitation.  The 
meetings  continued  two  weeks  there,  but  as  I  was  out 
of  the  Lord's  order,  they  amounted  to  nothing,  though 
my  wife  and  I  were  courteously  treated,  and  at  the 
close  I  was  presented  with  a  purse  of  one  hundred 
dollars,  the  only  time  in  my  life  such  a  thing  occurred. 
This  did  not  make  up  for  the  sense  of  defeat  which 
I  suffered.  I  did  not  yet  see  clearly  the  mistake  I 
had  made,  but  I  felt  that  something  was  wrong.  It 
was  two  or  three  years  afterward  before  the  Lord 
clearly  showed  me  how  I  had  failed  to  follow  His 
leading,  and  how  I  had  suffered  many  things  as  a 
result  of  my  heedlessness.  In  a  short  time  I  returned 
to  Sullivan  and  to  my  great  surprise  I  found  the  open 
door  was  shut  and  barred.  Not  the  door  into  the 
house  I  had  vacated,  but  the  door  of  the  hearts  of  the 
people ;  and  it  has  not  been  opened  again  in  nearly 
forty  years.  It  is  no  doubt  true  that  that  door  would 
have  been  closed  eventually  if  I  had  stayed  and  com- 
pleted the  work  God  had  in  hand,  but  much  good  might 
have  been  done  meanwhile.  This  mistake  impressed 
upon  me  a  valuable  lesson,  and  I  have  never  since  re- 
peated it. 

I  started  awhile  since  to  speak  of  my  first  camp- 


118  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

meeting,  but  turned  aside  to  tell  of  the  Sullivan 
meeting,  which  antedated  the  camp-meeting  by  six 
months.  The  camp-meeting  was  held  at  the  place  be- 
fore mentioned,  in  the  first  weeks  of  August,  1871. 
Quite  a  number  of  brethren  and  friends  tented  on  the 
ground,  most  of  them  from  about  Arcola,  but  some 
of  them  from  Winchester.  Mr.  L.  H.  Johnson  was 
with  us  over  one  Sunday.  The  meeting  continued  over 
the  second  Sunday  and  was  well  attended.  The  Lord 
was  present  with  us  and  much  impression  was  made 
upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  people.  Though 
the  ultimate  results  were  not  great,  that  is,  few  really 
obtained  salvation,  a  number  were  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  the  gospel  and  were  interested  for  a  long 
time.  They  had  their  call  though  they  did  not  fully 
respond  to  it.  One  family  in  particular  was  much 
affected  by  the  meeting.  The  head  of  this  family,  a 
Mr.  W had  formerly  been  a  Methodist  of  prom- 
inence but  had  apostatized  and  was  then  a  wicked 
man  and  a  Universalist.  He  was  quite  wealthy  and 
very  immoral  in  his  conduct.  He  came  to  the  meetings 
and  became  much  interested.  He  came  to  me  to  dis- 
cuss theology,  but  soon  lost  interest  in  the  debate. 
Before  the  close  of  the  meeting  he  came  to  me  and 
proposed  to  take  up  a  collection  for  me.  I  refused 
my  consent  to  any  plan  of  the  kind  proposed.  I  told 
him  if  any  man  wanted  to  give  me  anything  he  could 
come  to  me  and  give  it.  He  was  much  disappointed 
and  declared  that  if  I  would  allow  him  to  solicit  con- 
tributions much  money  could  be  obtained,  but  that 
otherwise  I  should  get  but  little.  I  did  not  doubt 
that  he  was  correct  in  his  opinion,  but  I  could  not 
ask  for  money  or  permit  anyone  else  to  ask  for  me. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  119 

I  received  very  little  at  the  camp-meeting,  but  six 
months  afterward  the  circumstance  was  recalled  to 
my  memory  and  I  realized  that  I  had  received  more 
money  than  in  any  previous  six  months  in  my  life, 
and  had  not  asked  for  it  either.  This  was  contrary 

to  any  expectation  on  my  part.    Old  Mr.  W was 

much  affected  by  the  meetings,  broke  off  all  his  bad 
habits,  even  refusing  to  loan  money  at  more  than  legal 
interest,  though  he  had  before  taken  heavy  usury. 
He  attended  the  meetings  in  his  neighborhood  and 
took  part  in  them  and  seemed  like  a  new  man  out- 
wardly, though  he  did  not  profess  to  be  converted. 
This  continued  for  several  years,  but  he  could  not 
consent  to  give  up  the  world  entirely ;  and  when  he 
had  so  decided,  he  gave  up  the  struggle  at  once,  went 
back  to  his  old  habits  and  died  without  hope.  But 
he  remained  my  friend  to  the  end  of  his  life. 

In  about  two  weeks  after  the  close  of  the  first 
camp-meeting,  I  began  another  at  Miller's  Spring,  three 
miles  southwest  of  Sullivan.  At  this  meeting  I  had  no 
assistance  in  preaching,  but  filled  all  the  appointments 
myself.  I  preached  each  day  for  ten  days  at  10 :30 
A.  M.  and  2:30  and  7:30  p.  M.  This  meeting  was  also 
largely  attended,  and  deep  impression  was  made  upon 
the  community.  It  seemed  sometimes  that  a  majority 
of  the  people  would  accept  the  truth  and  be  saved 
from  sin,  but  after  the  wayside  hearers,  the  stony- 
ground  hearers,  and  the  thorny-ground  hearers  were 
sifted  out,  but  few  were  left.  This  process  of  sifting, 
however,  went  on  for  a  number  of  years  before  the 
true  harvest  was  apparent.  The  gospel,  though  hated 
and  despised  by  many,  and  rejected  by  the  mass,  had 
for  years,  quite  an  open  door  in  Central  Illinois,  and 


120  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

many  requests  were  received  for  laborers,  and  the 
more  so,  since  it  was  understood  that  the  gospel 
preached  was  a  free  gospel.  Humanity  is  always 
pleased  to  get  something  for  nothing.  I  was  young 
and  strong  and  able  to  endure  great  labor,  and  I  did 
not  spare  myself.  I  had  quite  a  compliment  on  my 
preaching  from  a  U.  B.  preacher,  who  then  travelled 
a  circuit  which  included  the  territory  in  which  the 
camp-meeting  was  held.  I  was  told  by  one  who 
heard  him  that  he  told  his  hearers  that  I  was  a 
dangerous  man  and  would  better  be  avoided  by  them, 
though  he  could  listen  to  me  with  impunity;  that  I 
would  state  a  proposition  and  then  cover  it  all  over 
with  scripture,  which  was  likely  to  convince  them  of 
its  truth,  but  not  him,  he  knew  better.  I  suppose  he 
considered  himself  immune  against  argument  and  logic. 
That  statement  was  equivalent  to  the  one  made  by 
an  enemy  of  the  gospel  in  Winchester,  Illinois,  "  If 
you  do  not  wish  to  believe  what  he  says,  don't  go  to 
hear  him."  At  the  close  of  this  meeting,  my  wife 
and  I  returned  to  our  home  near  Arcola  by  way  of 
Mattoon,  riding  on  the  first  railroad  train  running 
between  Sullivan  and  Mattoon.  Hitherto,  Sullivan 
had  no  railroad. 

On  the  23rd  of  September,  my  son  Paul  was  born. 
He  was  our  third  child.  When  he  was  four  weeks 
old,  we  went  into  the  neighborhood  of  the  first  camp- 
meeting  and  visited  the  friends  and  held  some  meetings. 
The  first  week  in  November  we  removed  to  Sullivan. 

Mr.  S.  H.  Morrell,  one  of  Sullivan's  prominent 
citizens,  had  offered  me  the  use  of  a  small  cottage  free 
of  rent  if  I  would  occupy  it.  It  was  in  bad  condition, 
scarcely  habitable,  but  I  had  it  repaired,  doing  the 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  121 

most  of  the  work  myself,  and  we  moved  into  it  and 
began  holding  social  meetings  in  it,  twice  each  week. 
These  meetings  continued  to  be  held  with  little  in- 
terruption in  private  houses,  with  slight  exceptions,  in 
my  own  house,  for  more  than  thirty-eight  years.  The 
attendance  was  small  at  first  and  of  those  who  at- 
tended these  meetings  in  the  beginning,  but  three 
beside  myself  survive:  viz,  Brothers  L.  T.  Hagerman 
and  A.  P.  Powers,  and  John  Williams,  now  of  Decatur, 
Illinois.  In  the  early  winter  I  held  meetings  at  Dunn, 
a  village  five  miles  west  of  Sullivan.  In  the  beginning 
of  the  next  year,  1872,  I  held  meetings  at  a  point  in 
Piatt  county.  Brother  Lark  Delana,  who  had  been 
a  Methodist  preacher,  was  acquainted  in  that  section, 
it  having  been  included  in  his  charge,  and  he  took  me 
up  there  and  introduced  me.  We  were  entertained 
at  the  home  of  N.  A.  Trabue,  a  farmer  of  the  vicinity. 
The  weather  was  cold  and  my  wife  could  not  well 
accompany  me,  and  I  was  much  concerned  at  leaving 
her  at  home,  as  I  was  never  free  from  fear  of  her 
losing  her  reason  suddenly.  We  had  good  meetings 
in  a  school  house  near  Mr.  Trabue's  and  for  several 
years  afterward  I  occasionally  held  meetings  in  the 
same  neighborhood. 

About  this  time,  or  indeed  for  some  time  previously, 
I  had  been  exercised  in  my  mind  on  doctrinal  points. 
I  had  accepted  and  preached  the  Wesleyan  theory  of 
Entire  Sanctification  or  Christian  perfection,  though 
never  without  some  doubts  and  mental  reservations. 
This  theory  teaches  that  a  state  of  heart  purity  or 
freedom  from  sin  is  the  acme  of  Christian  experience 
and  one  obtained  as  a  second  work  after  conversion  or 
regeneration.  I  understood  the  theory  to  teach  us  to 


122  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

look  for  perfection  of  conduct  as  well  as  perfection 
of  heart,  and  I  think  it  was  generally  so  understood. 
It  was  supposed  that  one  "  fully  saved  "  could  keep 
the  divine  law.  I  soon  began  to  discover  that  my  ex- 
perience did  not  measure  up  to  such  a  standard,  and 
I  could  by  no  casuistry  conceal  this  fact  from  myself. 
Then  I  became  troubled  about  regular  seasons  of 
prayer,  and  rules  of  worship,  which  others  had  pre- 
scribed for  me,  or  I  had  prescribed  for  myself.  The 
Lord  seemed  to  be  endeavoring  to  lead  me  out  from 
this  treadmill  worship  into  a  larger  liberty,  but  I  was 
afraid  of  going  wrong  and  getting  into  error.  My 
judgment  was  enlightened  and  convinced  but  my  preju- 
dices were  against  this  liberty.  I  feared  that  if  I  did 
not  pray  by  rule  I  would  cease  to  pray  altogether. 
Like  the  child  who  should  fear  that  if  he  did  not  eat 
at  stated  intervals  but  should  wait  for  the  promptings 
of  hunger,  he  might  cease  to  eat,  and  starve  to  death. 
I  am  not  by  nature,  a  radical  nor  extremist,  but  a 
conservative,  and  had  to  be  forced  by  the  logic  of 
circumstances  into  things  novel  and  unusual.  I  care- 
fully and  prayerfully  felt  my  way  along  untrodden 
paths.  Satan  would  alarm  me  with  his  temptations  and 
suggestions  and  I  would  run  back,  only  to  be  brought 
up  to  the  same  place  again  by  the  urging  of  the  Blessed 
Spirit.  I  dreaded  fanaticism,  and  had  to  see  clearly 
that  the  way  before  me  was  reasonable  and  scriptural 
before  I  would  walk  in  it.  I  have  found  this  to  be 
true,  that  if  I  could  convince  and  satisfy  myself  of 
the  truth  of  a  proposition,  I  would  have  little  trouble 
in  convincing  others.  .  Against  anything  new  presented 
to  my  mind  as  a  truth,  I  urged  every  objection  I 
could  think  of,  and  if  I  could  not  answer  all  these 
objections,  I  would  not  receive  it  as  a  truth.  As 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  123 

in  science  no  hypothesis  can  be  accepted  as  correct 
which  will  not  meet  all  conditions,  so  in  the  gospel 
nothing  can  be  received  as  truth  that  does  not  har- 
monize with  all  other  known  truth.  The  result  of 
my  mental  and  spiritual  wrestling  with  these  subjects 
was  the  rejection  of  the  "  two  work  "  theory  of  per- 
fection as  unscriptural  and  absurd,  and  the  adoption 
of  the  teaching  that  regeneration  and  perfection  are 
the  same  and  identical.  In  other  words,  that  all  real 
Christians  are  perfect  in  their  moral  natures  by  virtue 
of  being  the  children  of  God.  I  also  discarded  all 
set  rules  for  worship,  as  being  clogs  to  liberty,  be- 
lieving that  the  Blessed  Spirit  would  teach  us  when 
to  pray  as  well  as  how  to  pray.  As  the  Lord  Jesus 
had  prescribed  no  rules  of  this  kind,  I  doubted  the 
authority  of  anyone  else  to  do  it.  I  also  discarded 
the  use  of  a  "  mourners'  bench  "  in  the  meetings  I 
held,  believing  its  use  to  be  injurious  and  unwarranted. 
I  understood  the  scriptures  to  teach  that  the  preached 
gospel  is  God's  appointed  means  for  saving  men  and 
not  human  persuasion  or  human  influence.  To  sow 
the  gospel  seed  and  then  leave  it  without  any  human 
effort  to  hasten  its  germination  and  growth,  I  found 
required  a  large  measure  of  faith  in  the  efficiency  of 
God's  means,  but  experience  has  justified  the  plan. 
There  is  much  less  apparent  success,  but  more  real 
success.  We  have  genuine  spiritual  births  instead  of 
abortions,  "  The  husbandman  hath  long  patience." 

Mr.  Morrell,  generally  called  "  Boss  Morrell,"  found 
me  a  difficult  man  to  manage,  and  soon  repented  fur- 
nishing me  a  house  free  of  rent,  and  began  charging 
me  five  dollars  a  month  rent.  This  was  agreeable  to 
me ;  however,  no  one  would  have  lived  in  the  house 
until  I  had  repaired  it  at  my  own  expense. 


CHAPTER  XI. 
CAMP-MEETINGS   AND   A   BEREAVEMENT. 

IN  June,  1872,  I  held  a  camp-meeting  in  Scott 
county,  Illinois,  about  three  miles  northwest  of  Win- 
chester. There  had  been  quite  an  amount  of  gospel 
preaching  in  this  vicinity,  and  it  was  not  a  new  field, 
such  as  was  usually  chosen  in  which  to  hold  camp- 
meetings.  Quite  a  number  of  brethren  lived  in  this 
section  of  the  country.  Most  of  them  had  been  saved 
through  the  labors  of  Brother  A.  C.  Armentrout,  who 
had  been  the  M.  E.  pastor  in  Winchester  for  three 
years.  After  appointing  this  meeting,  and  a  few 
weeks  before  the  meeting,  began  premonitions  of 
trouble  ahead.  I  had  invited  Lyman  H.  Johnson,  pub- 
lisher of  the  "  Stumbling  Stone,"  to  attend  the  meeting 
and  assist  us  in  the  preaching.  I  knew  that  he  did 
not  agree  with  me  on  the  subject  of  prayer,  either 
in  theory  or  practice ;  and  I  also  had  some  knowledge 
of  his  intolerance  of  any  opinion  or  practice  not 
agreeing  with  his  own,  but  I  had  hoped  to  get  along 
with  him  without  open  rupture,  as  I  was  willing  to 
think  and  let  think.  But,  in  thinking  the  matter  over, 
this  passage  of  scripture  was  powerfully  impressed 
on  my  mind  :  "  And  that  because  of  false  brethren  un- 
awares brought  in,  who  came  in  privily  to  spy  out 
our  liberty  which  we  have  in  Christ  Jesus,  that  they 
might  bring  us  into  bondage :  to  whom  we  gave  place 

124 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  125 

by  subjection,  no  not  for  an  hour;  that  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel  might  continue  with  you."  (Gal.  2:4-5.) 
This  scripture  was  brought  to  my  mind  upon  reading 
a  letter  informing  me  of  the  presence  of  Miss  Mary 
Backus  (afterwards  Mr.  Johnson's  paramour  when 
he  left  his  wife),  in  Winchester.  This  application  of 
scripture  was  a  surprise  to  me,  and  was  the  clearest 
fulfillment  to  me  of  the  Lord's  promise  concerning  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "  He  shall  show  you  things  to  come," 
that  I  ever  experienced.  My  wife  and  I,  and  our  little 
son,  Paul,  went  to  the  camp-meeting  in  a  wagon  with 
some  other  brethren  from  Sullivan,  who  drove  across 
country,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  miles.  As  my  wife 
was  not  strong  enough  to  carry  the  child  about,  as  he 
was  quite  heavy,  I  bought  a  perambulator  for  her  use, 
probably  the  first  used  in  our  town.  There  were  a 
number  of  tents  on  the  ground,  and  a  respectable  at- 
tendance each  day  and  more  at  night.  We  used  coal- 
oil  torches  with  which  to  light  the  ground.  We  had 
no  kind  of  police  protection,  but  trusted  the  Lord  to 
keep  order  on  the  ground,  and  we  were  never  dis- 
turbed by  disorder  at  any  of  the  camp-meetings  we 
held,  though  we  were  sometimes  threatened.  One 
way  to  avoid  trouble  and  contention  is  to  give  those 
who  would  disturb  no  one  to  contend  with.  It  always 
takes  two  to  make  a  quarrel. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  on  hand  at  the  beginning  of  the 
meeting  and  having  received  a  report  from  Miss 
Backus,  he  began  at  once  a  discussion  of  our  differ- 
ences. I  endeavored  to  avoid  a  public  rupture,  and 
to  persuade  him  that  the  matter  was  not  vital,  but 
among  those  indifferent  things  about  which  everyone 
was  to  be  persuaded  in  his  own  mind,  and  concerning 


126  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

which  we  were  not  to  judge  one  another.  I  think 
I  should  have  succeeded  with  him,  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  influence  of  Miss  Backus  against  me.  He 
at  length  decided  that  it  was  his  duty  to  oppose  my 
teachings  publicly,  and  on  Saturday  night  before  the 
first  Sunday  of  the  meeting,  he  preached  on  the  sub- 
ject of  prayer.  Two  points  on  which  he  particularly 
insisted  were:  1st,  that  nothing  was  real  prayer  that 
was  not  vocal  or  audible ;  and,  2nd,  that  he  could  not 
know  that  a  man  was  a  Christian  unless  he  heard 
him  pray.  He  was  a  considerably  older  man  than  I, 
and  I  disliked  to  attack  him  publicly,  but  no  alterna- 
tive was  left  me,  and  I  did  not  spare  him.  I  think 
I  succeeded  in  showing  the  unscripturalness  and  ab- 
surdity of  his  statements.  If  nothing  is  prayer  that 
is  not  vocal,  the  deaf  and  dumb,  and  those  having 
lost  the  power  of  speech  are  forever  precluded  from 
the  possibility  of  prayer.  He  gave  the  case  of  Hannah, 
the  mother  of  the  prophet  Samuel,  as  a  proof  that 
prayer  must  be  vocal,  because  the  high  priest  Eli 
misjudged  her,  thinking  her  drunken,  when  he  saw 
her  in  the  tabernacle  praying  for  a  son,  because  he  saw 
her  lips  move,  but  heard  no  sound.  But  he  forgot  or 
ignored  the  fact  that  God  heard  that  prayer  and 
granted  her  request.  The  citation  of  this  event  as 
an  argument  against  silent  prayer  was  unfortunate.  If 
vocal  prayer  in  the  hearing  of  others  is  such  strong 
proof  of  piety,  the  Pharisees  certainly  should  have 
passed  muster.  It  must  constitute  an  important  part 
of  the  Christian's  light,  which  Christ  commands  him 
to  let  shine ;  how  strange  then  that  the  Lord  should 
recommend  secret  prayer  where  the  light  would  be 
under  a  bushel,  and  forbid  praying  to  be  seen  of  men. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  127 

Jesus  did  not  seem  to  have  the  same  view  of  the 
matter  as  Mr.  Johnson.  He  teaches  us  to  depend  upon 
the  open  reward  for  proof  of  our  piety.  The  next 
morning,  which  was  Sunday,  Mr.  Johnson  and  Miss 
Backus  left  the  camp-ground  before  time  for  services, 
shaking  the  dust  off  their  feet  as  a  testimony  against 
us,  and  left  Winchester  together  on  the  first  train. 
Satan  took  advantage  of  this  trouble  to  violently  at- 
tack us,  as  he  always  does  on  such  occasions,  and 
the  brethren  being  generally  young  in  experience,  and 
ignorant  of  Satan's  devices,  were  somewhat  stampeded. 
Phis  left  a  heavy  pressure  on  me,  and  so  violent  was 
the  devil's  attack  that  it  sapped  my  physical  strength 
so  that  I  could  scarcely  walk  about.  Yet  at  10 :30 
A.  M.,  I  was  due  to  preach  to  a  large  audience  of  more 
than  one  thousand  people.  It  seemed  to  me  impossible 
that  I  should  do  so,  and  I  cried  to  God  for  strength 
and  guidance.  In  the  emergency,  this  text  was  sug- 
gested to  me :  "  Cursed  is  he  that  doeth  the  work 
of  the  Lord  deceitfully ;  and  cursed  is  the  man  that 
keepeth  back  his  sword  from  blood."  (Jer.  48:10.) 
As  the  scripture  lesson,  I  read  the  thirty-second 
chapter  of  Deuteronomy  and  also  the  account  of 
Saul's  expedition  against  the  Amelekites.  As  I  began 
to  read,  I  felt  the  power  of  God  come  down,  and 
before  I  was  done  reading,  my  physical  weakness 
was  all  gone  and  I  realized  such  an  uplifting  that 
was  unusual.  This  continued  all  through  the  dis- 
course and  the  congregation  seemed  to  be  bereft  of 
power  to  resist  the  truth  spoken.  I  never  before  or 
since  realized  more  power  and  liberty  in  preaching. 
Satan  seemed  to  be  routed  and  we  had  the  victory. 
During  the  progress  of  this  meeting,  the  Rev.  Andrew 


128  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

Rynders,  a  member  of  the  annual  Conference  came 
to  visit  us  and  to  cast  in  his  lot  with  us.  Also  some 
brethren  were  there  from  abroad  whom  I  had  never 
met  before,  among  them  Brother  Abram  Jackson  of 
Bangor,  Iowa.  At 'the  close  of  the  meeting  we  re- 
turned to  Sullivan.  In  August  I  held  a  camp-meeting 
in  Cumberland  county,  Illinois,  not  far  from  the  town 
of  Greenup.  We  attended  this  camp-meeting  in  a 
wagon  also,  with  Brother  Delana.  Miss  Magill  of 
Winchester,  who  was  visiting  us  at  the  time,  accom- 
panied us.  This  meeting  was  well  attended,  and  con- 
tinued over  two  Sundays,  as  usual.  Nothing  remark- 
able or  unusual  occurred  at  it.  Shortly  after  our  re- 
turn home,  I  held  a  third  camp-meeting  for  the  year 
at  Rmgo's  Mill,  in  Shelby  county,  Illinois.  This 
was  a  profitable  meeting,  and  the  results  were  seen 
for  a  long  time  afterward. 

During  the  summer,  my  little  boy,  Paul,  was  af- 
flicted with  diarrhoea,  and  by  September  he  became 
quite  bad,  so  that  from  being  a  fat,  chubby  baby,  he 
was  wasted  almost  to  a  skeleton.  We  feared  that  he 
would  die,  but  did  not  dare  to  employ  a  physician, 
dreading  the  results  of  strong  medicines  more  than 
the  disease.  He  was  so  fretful  that  I  had  to  carry 
him  about  in  my  arms  much  of  the  time.  We  treated 
him  with  simple  remedies  and  waited  for  frosty 
weather.  When  this  came,  he  got  better.  In  October 
I  was  invited  to  hold  meetings  in  Shelby  county,  not 
far  from  the  present  site  of  Findlay,  though  there 
was  at  that  time  no  town  there.  While  holding  the 
meetings,  my  wife  and  I  stayed  with  the  family  of 
James  Dazy,  an  extensive  farmer  and  stockman  of 
the  vicinity.  While  in  Shelbyville  one  day  with  Mr. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  129 

Dazy  I  took  sick  and,  returning  to  his  home  I  found 
my  wife  also  sick.  She  had  contracted  a  cold  which 
affected  one  of  her  lungs.  The  next  morning,  Mr. 
Dazy  took  us  to  our  home  in  Sullivan.  I  had  a  spell 
of  third-day  ague  and  my  wife  suffered  from  con- 
gestion of  the  lungs.  We  were  both  sick  about  three 
weeks.  I  would  have  a  chill  and  high  fever  each 
alternate  day,  but  the  intervening  day  would  feel 
much  better.  My  wife  continued  to  grow  worse, 
though  she  suffered  but  little  pain.  She  would  not 
consent  for  me  to  call  a  physician,  thinking  it  of  no 
use.  I  nursed  her  and  took  care  of  our  little  child, 
Paul.  Sister  Delana  would  come  in  nearly  every  day 
to  see  us,  and  occasionally  some  others.  I  would  be 
so  sick  some  days  that  I  could  not  get  out  to  the 
well  to  get  water  to  drink.  I  did  not  apprehend 
that  my  wife  was  fatally  sick  until  two  or  three  days 
before  the  end.  Then  it  began  to  be  apparent  that 
she  was  not  likely  to  recover.  She  realized  this,  and 
told  me  so.  She  said  that  she  would  like  to  live  to 
be  company  for  me,  but  that  she  realized  that  she 
was  a  clog  to  me  on  account  of  her  delicate  health, 
and  that  the  Lord  was  about  to  take  her  away  from 
me.  She  had  no  fear  nor  dread  of  dying,  and  was 
anxious  only  that  I  might  be  submissive  to  the  Lord's 
will ;  and  she  could  not  rest  until  I  assured  her  that 
I  was  submissive.  This  was  a  difficult  thing  for  me 
to  do;  but  when  once  I  had  given  her  my  word,  she 
said  no  more  about  dying,  and  seemed  no  more  con- 
cerned about  it  than  if  she  were  but  going  to  sleep. 
Though  having  all  a  mother's  love  for  her  child,  she 
never  once  mentioned  leaving  him.  The  abscess  on 
her  lung  gave  her  countenance  the  flush  of  health 


130  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

and  she  did  not  look  like  a  sick  woman.  She  re- 
marked this  herself  a  few  days  before  she  died.  Up 
to  less  than  twenty-four  hours  before  dissolution  she 
gave  no  sign  of  approaching  death.  Then  she  began 
to  be  unable  to  take  food.  She  was  very  fond  of  per- 
simmons, and  a  friend  having  brought  her  some  of 
that  fruit,  she  ate  a  little  of  it  and  was  thereafter 
unable  to  swallow.  Then  she  had  a  sinking  spell, 
but  revived  and  spoke  cheerfully  of  how  near  death 
she  was.  Then  she  cried  out,  "  Where  is  my  hus- 
band ? "  I  went  to  her  side  and  she  said,  "  It  is 
getting  dark  again."  Sister  Delana  was  with  us  and 
we  rubbed  her  with  brandy  and  gave  her  a  taste  of 
the  liquor.  She  remarked,  "  How  sweet  it  is."  I  said 
to  sister  Delana,  "  Don't  give  her  too  much,"  and 
my  wife  remarked,  "  Do  not  give  me  any  more,  then.'1 
She  looked  at  me  with  a  smile,  her  head  fell  back 
and  she  was  dead.  The  abscess  had  burst  and 
strangled  her.  This  was  on  Friday,  the  8th  of  No- 
vember. We  buried  her  remains  on  Sunday,  the  10th, 
in  the  Sullivan  cemetery,  I,  myself,  officiating  at  her 
funeral. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
IN  MEMORIAM. 

NANCY  MELINDA  BURNETT  was  born  near  Waverly, 
Morgan  county,  Illinois,  December  24,  1843.  Her 
parents  were  James  Burnett  and  Thirza  Van  Winkle 
Burnett.  Her  father  was  an  extensive  farmer,  being 
quite  well-to-do  for  those  times.  When  she  was  three 
or  four  years  old  her  parents  died,  leaving  six  children 
and  one  granddaughter,  the  oldest  daughter  having 
previously  died  after  giving  birth  to  a  child.  Nannie 
was  the  sixth  child,  having  one  sister  younger  than 
herself.  Her  uncle,  Isham  Burnett,  was  appointed 
guardian  for  her  and  her  sister,  Charity,  and  they  went 
to  live  in  his  family,  not  far  from  their  previous  home. 
A  short  time  afterward,  probably  a  year  later,  she 
was  taken  into  the  family  of  Jester  Shearer,  who  had 
married  her  mother's  cousin,  Minerva  Jane  Van 
Winkle.  They  at  this  time  lived  on  a  farm  between 
Waverly  and  Jacksonville,  but  shortly  afterward  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Waverly,  where  Mr.  Shearer 
worked  at  his  trade,  he  being  a  journeyman  harness- 
maker.  Here  she  grew  up  to  womanhood. 

Waverly  was  then  a  small  village,  situated  about 
twelve  miles  southeast  of  Jacksonville,  the  county  seat 
of  Morgan  county,  Illinois.  It  was  built  on  a  level 
prairie,  surrounded  by  fertile  farms  and  was  an  un- 
usually quiet  and  moral  community.  It  was  founded 

131 


132  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

and  laid  out  by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Cleveland 
Salter,  in  the  first  half  of  the  Nineteenth  century. 
Mr.  Salter  was  an  Eastern  man,  having  removed  to 
Illinois  in  his  early  manhood.  I  never  met  him,  but  I 
had  often  heard  my  step-mother  speak  of  him  during 
my  childhood  in  Ohio,  as  she  had  lived  in  his  family 
before  he  came  west,  while  he  was  a  merchant  in 
Meadville,  Pennsylvania.  Here  Nannie  Burnett  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  and  here,  when  fourteen 
or  fifteen  years  old,  she  professed  religion  and  united 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Society.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Shearer  had  no  children  of  their  own  and  she  was 
brought  up  like  an  only  child,  but  was  not  legally 
adopted.  When  she  was  about  eighteen  years  old 
she  entered  what  was  then  called  the  Methodist  Fe- 
male College  in  Jacksonville.  It  is  now  denominated 
The  Methodist  Woman's  College.  Here  she  remained 
four  years  until  her  graduation  in  June,  1865.  Her 
younger  sister,  Charity,  was  also  in  this  institution 
several  terms,  but  married  before  graduation,  and 
did  not  finish  the  course  of  study.  At  this  time  the 
institution  was  presided  over  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles 
Adams.  I  visited  the  college  a  time  or  two  in  1864-65, 
but  never  met  Miss  Burnett.  About  the  time  of  her 
graduation  Brother  Shearer  removed  from  Waverly 
to  Winchester,  Scott  county,  Illinois.  Still  making 
her  home  with  them  she  engaged  in  school  teaching 
after  her  graduation  and  was  employed  in  the  public 
schools  of  Winchester  during  the  years  of  1865-66 
and  1866-67.  In  the  fall  of  1866  Rev.  A.  C.  Armen- 
trout  was  sent  by  the  Illinois  Annual  Conference  to 
the  charge  at  Winchester.  The  winter  previously  he, 
while  in  charge  of  the  Fifth  street  M.  E.  charge  in 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  133 

Quincy,  had  professed  the  blessing  of  "  Holiness " 
or  "  Entire  Sanctification,"  as  had  also  his  wife,  and 
was  quite  zealous  in  preaching  the  doctrine  and  rec- 
ommending the  experience.  A  number  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  society  embraced  the  doctrine  and  pro- 
fessed the  experience,  among  them  Nannie  Burnett 
and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearer.  Brother  Armentrout  met 
with  active  if  not  bitter  opposition  in  his  work,  and 
the  prejudice  against  the  professors  of  the  new  ex- 
perience was  such  that  Miss  Burnett  lost  her  position 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  and  had  to  go  to  the 
country  to  teach  during  the  winter  of  1867-68.  It 
was  during  this  winter  that  I  met  her,  and  we  were 
married  the  next  April.  She  had  used  her  patri- 
mony in  obtaining  her  college  education,  and  little  or 
nothing  was  left  at  the  end  of  the  course. 

Nannie's  opinion  of  boarding-schools  was  not  flat- 
tering. She  judged  them  from  her  own  experience, 
and  thought  them  dangerous  to  the  morals  of  the 
students.  There  are,  almost  without  exception,  a 
few  girls  in  any  such  institution  who  are  immoral, 
though  they  are  supposed  to  come  from  the  best  fam- 
ilies, and  their  influence  on  their  associates  is  con- 
taminating and  debasing.  This  is  true  to  some  extent 
of  all  schools,  but  where  the  pupils  are  together  but 
for  study  and  recitations,  the  evil  effects  of  vicious 
associations  are  minimized.  But  when  this  associa- 
tion is  constant  by  day  and.  by  night,  the  danger  is 
much  increased.  She  was  so  impressed  by  this  view 
of  the  case  that  she  declared  she  would  never  willingly 
send  a  daughter  of  hers  to  a  boarding-school.  This 
agrees  with  John  Wesley's  opinion  of  such  schools. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  woman  of  small 


134  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

stature,  being  not  over  five  feet  in  height,  and  of 
rather  slender  build,  though  she  was  not  so  slender 
as  she  appeared  and  as  her  face  indicated.  She  never 
in  health  weighed  less  than  one  hundred  pounds  and 
sometimes  weighed  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty. 
She  had  small  feet  and  rather  small  hands,  though 
her  hands  were  not  so  small  proportionately  as  her 
feet.  She  could  wear  No.  1  shoes.  Her  complexion 
was  rather  brunette  than  blonde,  and  on  account  of 
ill-health,  this  was  often  accentuated.  Her  hair,  of 
which  she  had  abundance,  was  brown  with  a  glint  of 
gold  in  it.  Her  eyes  were  blue-grey,  bright  and  ex- 
pressive. She  had  a  prominent  forehead,  her  head 
being  quite  long  from  front  to  back,  and  a  slender, 
oval  face.  Her  nose  was  straight  and  her  mouth 
moderate  in  size.  She  would  not  have  been  considered 
a  beauty  as  was  her  younger  sister,  who  was  a  very 
beautiful  woman,  but  when  in  good  health,  with  a 
clear  complexion,  and  with  animated  countenance, 
she  appeared  really  beautiful.  She  had  a  good  car- 
riage, a  dignified  demeanor,  and  was  quiet  and  ret- 
icent, except  when  in  the  society  of  intimate  friends, 
only.  Then  her  reticence  disappeared  and  she  made 
herself  very  agreeable.  By  mere  acquaintances  she  was 
considered  cold  and  reserved,  but  she  had  a  very  af- 
fectionate nature,  as  her  intimate  friends  knew.  She 
was  prone  to  use  terms  of  endearment  in  her  inter- 
course with  near  friends.  In  our  private  associations 
she  usually  called  me  "  Precious."  She  had  known  me 
only  as  a  gospel  minister,  and  she  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  call  me  by  my  Christian  name. 

Her  intellectual  endowments  were  above  the  ordi- 
nary.    She  said  of  herself,  that  she  was  not  especially 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  135 

bright  as  a  student  and  that  it  required  hard  study  to 
enable  her  to  excel.  But  she  had  excellent  judgment, 
and  strong  common  sense.  She  was  tactful  and  of 
a  cheerful  disposition,  though  grave  and  serious.  She 
was  lady-like  in  her  manners  and  easily  commanded 
respect.  In  her  girlhood  she  was  rather  fond  of  dress 
and  inclined  to  be  fashionable,  but  when  I  first  knew 
her  this  love  of  display  was  all  gone  as  a  result  of 
divine  grace.  When  the  Lord  saved  her  she  cast  off 
her  finery  and  thereafter  was  quite  plain  in  her  ap- 
parel. One  of  her  characteristics  was  her  inability  to 
endure  pain.  Severe  pain  quite  unnerved  her.  As  a 
wife  she  was  a  model.  I  never  knew  any  other  woman 
who  had  so  high  an  ideal  of  wifely  obedience  and 
reverence  as  she  had;  and  she  lived  up  to  her  ideal. 
She  observed  the  apostolic  recommendation  "  Even 
as  Sarah  obeyed  Abraham  and  called  him  Lord."  Her 
husband's  decision  was  law  to  her,  unless  it  violated 
her  conscience,  and  she  never  disputed  it  or  called  it 
in  question.  During  the  four  years  and  eight  months 
we  lived  as  husband  and  wife  she  never  contradicted 
me,  she  never  opposed  me  in  anything,  she  never  re- 
proached me.  Of  course  she  was  not  always  pleased 
with  what  I  did ;  she  did  not  always  think  as  I  did, 
but  she  kept  these  differences  to  herself.  I  sometimes 
wounded  her  carelessly  or  inadvertently,  and  her  de- 
meanor would  show  pain,  but  not  one  word  of  blame 
was  uttered,  and  when  I  begged  her  forgivenness  all 
was  forgotten.  She  never  had  to  beg  my  forgive- 
ness for  she  never  wounded  me.  I  am  impulsive  and 
quick  to  speak  out  my  feelings,  she  was  deliberate 
and  governed  her  tongue.  Hence  we  never  had  our 
first  quarrel.  Her  submissiveness  was  not  in  any 


136  .HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

sense  the  result  of  weakness  or  colorlessness,  for  she 
had  a  strong  individuality.  It  was  the  result  of  grace 
and  a  high  ideal.  I  have  great  cause  for  thankfulness 
that  I  was  permitted  to  know  such  a  woman  and  to 
live  with  her  as  my  wife.  I  felt  myself  unworthy  of 
her  companionship,  and  I  wondered  at  her  profound 
affection  for  me  in  spite  of  my  faults  and  weaknesses, 
but  her  love,  I  never  for  a  moment  doubted.  She 
told  me  more  than  once  during  our  married  life  that 
she  would  not  live  to  be  thirty  years  of  age ;  she  died 
more  than  a  month  before  she  was  twenty-nine.  She 
was  a  noble  woman,  a  sincere  Christian,  a  faithful  wife 
and  mother.  "  Many  daughters  have  done  virtuously, 
but  thou  excellest  them  all." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
CONTINUED  LABORS. 

The  death  of  my  wife  naturally  was  a  great  shock 
to  me  and  for  a  short  time  I  lost  all  interest  in  my 
work  and  was  strongly  tempted  to  abandon  it  and  to 
return  to  Ohio.  I  lost  the  desire  of  life  and  would 
have  been  willing  to  leave  my  child  alone  in  the  world. 
I  was  tempted  to  fear  that  Satan  would  succeed  in 
trapping  me  in  some  way  if  I  continued  within  his 
reach  and  that  I  should  never  see  my  wife  again.  This 
tended  to  make  me  afraid  to  live  longer.  After  seeing 
my  wife  die,  it  seemed  an  easy  thing  to  die.  The 
language  of  the  poet  impressed  me  deeply : 

"  O  fear  not  thou  to  die, 

But  rather  fear  to  live;  for  life 
Hath  thousand  snares  thy  feet  to  try, 

By  peril,  pain  and  strife. 
Brief  is  the  work  of  death 

But  life  the  spirit  shrinks  to  see 
How  full,  'ere  heaven  recalls  the  breath, 

The  cup  of  woe  may  be." 

But  these  benumbed  feelings,  the  result  of  the  heavy 
stroke,  soon  began  to  pass  away  and  nature  began  to 
reassert  itself.  Interest  in  my  work  began  to  return, 
and  I  felt  that  it  would  be  disloyalty  to  God  to  abandon 
my  work.  I  took  my  little  boy,  Paul,  to  his  mother's 
relatives  in  Winchester,  Brother  and  Sister  Shearer. 
Sister  Shearer  was  in  delicate  health,  but  she  under- 

137 


138  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

took  the  task  of  caring  for  him,  a  child  fourteen 
months  old. 

The  winter  of  1872-73  was  one  of  great  severity. 
Nannie  was  buried  on  Sunday,  the  10th  of  November, 
the  weather  being  mild,  but  on  the  next  day  the  weather 
changed  to  cold  winter  temperature.  A  blizzard  raged 
and  a  heavy  snow  fell.  I  disposed  of  my  furniture 
and  crockery,  stored  my  bedding  and  prepared  for 
evangelistic  labors.  The  first  meeting  I  held  was  in 
Shelbyville.  I  had  never  preached  in  that  city,  though 
I  had  preached  at  several  points  in  Shelby  county. 
Mr.  Dazy  procured  the  use  of  the  court  house  for 
meeting  purposes  and  I  held  meetings  therein  for  a 
week  or  two,  assisted  by  Elder  Andrew  Rynders  of 
Waverly,  Illinois,  but  these  meetings  did  not  prove 
very  successful.  The  attendance  was  not  large  and 
no  special  interest  was  aroused,  and  I  did  not  con- 
tinue them  long.  And  though  I  have  lived  less  than 
twenty-five  miles  from  that  city  for  thirty-eight  years 
since  then,  I  have  not  preached  there  since. 

During  this  winter,  while  I  was  in  Sullivan,  I  re- 
ceived word  that  Paul  was  sick  with  the  inflammatory 
croup,  and  likely  to  die  of  it.  The  news  came  by 
telegram.  There  was  a  railroad  running  from  Mat- 
toon  to  Decatur  through  Sullivan,  but  there  was  no 
telegraph.  The  telegram  was  sent  on  the  train  from 
Mattoon  to  the  station  agent  at  Sullivan,  who  gave  it 
to  me.  Train  service  was  irregular  and  the  telegram 
had  been  so  long  on  the  way  that  I  had  small  hope 
of  reaching  Winchester  in  time  to  see  my  child  alive. 
I  went  to  Decatur,  and  while  there  waiting  for  a 
west-bound  train,  I  felt  like  praying  over  the  matter. 
I  attempted  to  do  so,  but  the  Lord  seemed  to  ask  me 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  139 

what  I  would  have.  Of  course,  I  wished  that  my  boy's 
life  might  be  spared;  but  I  could  not  know  whether 
that  would  really  be  for  the  best;  and  as  the  choice 
seemed  left  to  me,  I  said,  "  Lord,  I  do  not  know  what 
is  best,  I  dare  not  dictate;  do  what  Thou  seest  to 
be  the  best  and  I  will  submit."  The  doctor  had  said, 
"  Poor  little  fellow,  he  must  die,"  but  when  I  reached 
him  I  found  to  my  joy  that  he  was  on  the  road  to 
recovery.  And  I  knew  then  that  that  was  the  best. 
I  remained  in  the  vicinity  of  Winchester  and  did  some 
preaching  in  the  city  and  in  the  country  round  about. 
Meetings  were  held  regularly  each  Sunday  at  Brother 
Shearer's  house.  I  also  visited  Waverly,  the  home  of 
Elder  Rynders,  who  had  been  a  Methodist  preacher, 
and  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Conference.  On  our 
way  across  country  from  Waverly  to  Winchester  in 
a  private  conveyance,  we  encountered  the  severest 
weather  I  ever  experienced  in  travelling.  As  we  left 
Murrayville  one  morning  early,  quite  a  blanket  of  snow 
covering  the  ground,  I  warned  Brother  Rynders  that 
he  should  protect  his  ears  or  they  would  freeze.  He 
scorned  the  advice,  and,  he  being  an  older  man  than  I, 
I  said  no  more.  After  driving  two  or  three  miles  far- 
ther I  happened  to  look  at  him  and  saw  that  his  ear 
next  to  me  was  frozen,  and  so  informed  him.  On  ex- 
amination he  found  them  both  frozen.  We  stopped 
at  the  nearest  house  and  thawed  them  out,  as  he  found 
the  application  of  snow  failed  to  affect  them  it  was 
so  cold.  After  that  he  covered  his  ears.  As  a  result 
of  the  freezing  he  had  a  very  sore  pair  of  ears.  They 
were  large,  naturally,  and  the  freezing  greatly  exag- 
gerated their  size.  I  returned  to  Sullivan  and  then 
went  to  Piatt  county  and  held  some  meetings  in  the 


140  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

same  neighborhood  where  I  had  preached  the  previous 
year.  There  was  considerable  interest  manifested  in 
the  meetings  there  and  fruit  is  yet  remaining  of  my 
labors  there. 

Sister  Shearer's  health  being  poor,  she  found  the 
care  of  a  child  quite  burdensome  to  her  and  felt  that 
she  could  not  undertake  it  for  any  long  time,  and 
in  the  spring  she  spoke  to  me  about  the  matter  and 
advised  me  to  marry  again  to  provide  a  mother  for 
my  child.  I  had  not  thought  of  marrying  again  so 
soon,  though  I  had  not  contemplated  remaining  a 
widower  the  remainder  of  my  life.  I  felt  sure  that 
remarriage  after  so  comparatively  short  an  interval, 
though  perfectly  lawful,  would  provoke  comment.  But 
it  was  my  duty  to  provide  a  home  for  my  boy,  and  I 
could  not  feel  free  to  impose  upon  Sister  Shearer 
much  longer.  I  had  been  extremely  careful  during 
the  time  of  my  widowerhood  to  avoid  anything  like 
attentions  to  the  opposite  sex,  both  for  my  own 
quietude  of  mind,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  gospel,  that 
my  conduct  might  excite  no  remark.  This  line  of 
conduct  compelled  me  at  times  to  appear  almost  rude 
toward  women,  but  I  steadfastly  held  to  it.  So  many 
men  who  have  lost  their  wives  make  themselves  ridic- 
ulous by  their  antics,  that  I  resolved  to  be  an  ex- 
ception to  that  rule,  and  I  think  I  succeeded.  Brother 
and  Sister  Shearer  also  recommended  to  me  the 
woman  whom  I  afterward  married,  as  a  proper  person 
to  care  for  my  boy.  My  judgment  coincided  with 
theirs,  my  only  objection  being  the  disparity  of  our 
ages,  she  being  twelve  years  younger  than  I.  So,  on 
July  10th,  1873,  at  Brother  Shearer's  house  in  Win- 
chester, I  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Euretta  L. 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  141 

Magill.  Her  father  resided  at  Naples,  in  the  same 
county,  but  she  was  not  living  with  her  father  at 
the  time.  She  had  been  teaching  school  near  Win- 
chester, and  indeed,  she  resigned  her  position  as  a 
school  teacher  to  marry. 

I  had  held  two  camp-meetings  in  1871,  and  three 
in  1872.  As  the  meeting-houses  were  closed  to  me, 
I  found  what  Mr.  Wesley  called  "  field  preaching " 
my  best  means  of  getting  a  hearing,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  such  meetings  were  quite  successful.  Quite 
large  congregations  would  attend  them,  and  deep  im- 
pression was  generally  made  upon  many  of  the  hearers. 
In  August,  1873,  I  began  a  camp-meeting  at  a  point 
called  Appolonia,  near  Waverly,  Morgan  county,  Illi- 
nois. This  was  probably  the  most  largely  attended 
meeting  I  ever  held.  Quite  a  number  of  brethren 
from  points  in  Illinois,  and  some  from  Iowa,  were 
present  and  tented  on  the  ground.  Elder  Rynders 
and  I  did  the  preaching,  I  doing  the  most  of  it.  As 
the  stand  was  free  for  any  one  who  felt  he  had  a 
message  from  God,  a  Baptist  preacher, .  by  the  name 
of  William  P.  Hart,  took  the  pulpit  at  one  session 
and  opposed  the  doctrine  we  preached  of  -salvation 
from  all  sin.  This  gave  me  an  opportunity  to  answer 
his  objections.  At  the  close  of  this  meeting,  which 
continued  over  two  Sundays,  my  wife  and  I  came  to 
Sullivan  and  soon  went  to  another  camp-meeting, 
which  I  had  appointed  to  be  held  near  a  large  spring 
in  the  northwestern  part  of  Douglass  county,  Illinois. 
Some  of  the  brethren  from  a  distance  accompanied 
us  to  Sullivan  from  Waverly  and  attended  this  second 
meeting.  The  attendance  here  was  creditable,  but  the 
results  were  less  satisfactory  than  of  any  camp-meeting 


142  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

I  ever  held.  The  prevailing  feeling  in  the  community 
was  either  indifferent  or  hostile,  and  not  much  im- 
pression was  made. 

I  spent  a  large  part  of  my  time  during  these  years 
holding  meetings  here  and  there,  usually  in  neighbor- 
hoods where  I  had  already  preached,  but  sometimes 
in  new  places.  I  kept  no  diary,  and  after  the  lapse  of 
so  many  years  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  recall  many 
of  these  meetings,  and  when  I  remember  the  meetings 
I  often  cannot  fix  the  date  of  them.  I  usually  re- 
visited once  a  year  at  least,  and  often  more  frequently, 
any  point  where  I  had  held  meetings,  and  especially 
if  the  prospect  for  obtaining  fruit  of  my  labors  was 
promising.  Brother  Lark  Delana,  who  lived  in  Sul- 
livan, had  invited  me,  after  my  second  marriage,  to 
occupy  a  part  of  his  house  and  we  accepted  the  invi- 
tation and  moved  in.  My  wife  had  a  small  amount 
of  money,  inherited  from  her  maternal  grandfather, 
and  we  used  this  in  building  a  small  addition  to 
Brother  Delana's  house,  he  promising  to  reimburse 
us  when  we  relinquished  the  house.  During  the  au- 
tumn of  that  year  Paul  was  quite  sick  and  we  almost 
despaired  of  his  life,  but  he  finally  recovered.  I  held 
meetings  at  nearby  points  during  the  fall  and  winter 
of  1873-74.  One  series  at  Dunn,  five  miles  west  of 
Sullivan.  We  had  regular  meetings  twice  each  week 
in  my  house.  I  also  held  meetings  at  Mackville,  Piatt 
county,  near  the  point  where  I  had  formerly  held  meet- 
ings in  that  county.  The  social  meetings  in  Sullivan 
were  then  attended  by  but  few  persons.  We  were 
earnestly  endeavoring  to  learn  how  to  worship  the 
Lord  in  Spirit  and  in  truth,  but  we  found  many  hin- 
drances. Sometimes  the  Lord  would  meet  with  us 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  143 

in  power,  and  at  other  times  the  meetings  would 
seem  formal  and  lifeless,  and  we  could  not  tell  why 
these  differences  occurred.  We  could  not  determine 
whether  it  was  our  own  fault,  or  whether  it  was  in 
God's  order  for  the  trial  of  our  faith.  If  our  fault, 
we  could  not  locate  the  fault,  and  as  we  could  not 
read  each  other's  hearts,  we  could  not  know  who 
might  be  grieving  God's  Spirit  if  He  was  indeed 
grieved.  This  ignorance  laid  the  foundation  for  sus- 
picion of  each  other,  and  for  judging  each  other.  But 
we  struggled  to  keep  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  until  we 
should  come  into  the  unity  of  the  faith  and  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  Son  of  God.  And  we  avoided  all  effort 
to  substitute  wrought-up  emotion  in  place  of  the  work 
of  God's  spirit.  This  kind  of  self-deception  is  too 
frequently  practiced.  We  gradually  learned  the  great 
and  difficult  lesson  of  spiritual  worship.  We  learned 
to  do  the  best  we  knew  and  to  leave  the  rest  to  God 
without  worrying  and  without  curious  inquiry.  God's 
ways  are  sometimes  past  finding  out.  I  might  have 
greatly  increased  our  numbers  if  I  had  given  people 
something  tangible  and  carnal  to  attach  themselves 
to;  or  if  I  had  not  insisted  on  such  a  high  standard 
of  life  and  experience.  But  I  refused  to  lower  my 
ideals  of  Christian  character,  and  held  men  up  to  the 
gospel  standard  with  unfailing  persistence.  This  dis- 
couraged the  faint  hearted,  and  offered  no  advantage 
to  self-seekers.  There  was  nothing  to  be  gained  and 
everything  to  lose  by  association  with  us.  To  speak 
after  the  manner  of  men,  I  deemed  half  ,a  dozen 
thoroughbreds  of  more  value  than  ten  thousand  hy- 
breds.  I  still  think  the  same.  The  world  is  cursed 


144  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

with  multitudes  of  make-believes ;  the  genuine  Chris- 
tians are  scarce  and  precious. 

In  May,  1874,  my  wife  and  I  visited  Winchester. 
Owing  to  the  failure  of  making  connections  with  trains 
we  were  forced  to  spend  a  night  in  Springfield,  Illinois, 
at  a  hotel.  About  midnight,  Paul  awoke  strangling 
with  the  croup.  We  had  no  medicine  with  us,  so  I 
went  down  into  the  office,  woke  up  the  clerk  and  we 
searched  the  pantry  for  onions  and  lard.  Securing 
a  supply  of  each  and  a  tin  pan,  I  returned  to  our  room. 
We  then  heated  a  portion  of  the  onions  sliced  in  the 
lard,  using  a  kerosene  lamp  to  furnish  the  heat,  dosed 
Paul  with  the  onion  juice  and  in  an  hour  had  the  satis- 
faction of  seeing  the  little  fellow  much  relieved.  In 
the  morning  we  went  to  the  station  through  the  rain 
to  take  the  train  but  he  suffered  no  harm  and  never 
afterward  had  an  attack  of  the  croup. 

During  the  spring  of  1874,  I  the  second  time  visited 
Mason  county,  Illinois,  and  held  a  few  meetings  there. 
There  seemed  to  be  an  opening  for  doing  good  in 
that  vicinity  and  I  arranged  to  hold  a  camp-meeting 
in  August  near  Poplar  City,  a  railroad  station  about 
eight  miles  east  of  Havana.  Meanwhile  Elder  Rynders 
had  removed  from  Waverly  to  Mason  county.  The 
camp-meeting  was  largely  attended  and  was  quite 
successful.  There  was  quite  an  interest  in  the  "  Holi- 
ness "  work  throughout  central  Illinois  at  this  time. 
One  of  the  principal  agents  in  promoting  this  work 
in  the  territory  mentioned  was  the  Rev.  Hardin  Wal- 
lace, a  Methodist  preacher  and  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
Annual  Conference,  whom  I  have  previously  men- 
tioned. In  1867  he  had  lost  his  health  through  an 
attack  of  nervous  prostration,  and  while  this  inca- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  145 

pacitated  him  for  active  service,  he  professed  the 
blessing  of  entire  sanctification  according  to  the  Wes- 
leyian  theory,  and  when  he  had  partially  recovered  his 
health  he  began  holding  Holiness  conventions  in  va- 
rious parts  of  central  Illinois.  Though  a  man  of  com- 
paratively slender  abilities,  he  had  untiring  zeal  and 
was  quite  successful  in  his  work,  though  still  an  invalid. 
He  afterwards  removed  to  California  and  continued 
his  labors  there  with  considerable  success  and  or- 
ganized a  society  or  church  of  his  own.  But  he  was 
at  length  superseded  by  some  of  his  co-laborers.  He 
died  in  Los  Angeles.  I  found  upon  visiting  California 
in  1910  that  his  work  had  perished  as  it  has  in  Illinois. 
I  had  visited  Mason  county,  Illinois,  in  the  spring 
of  1873  and  had  preached  at  several  points  in  that 
county.  One  of  them  was  a  place  called  Paterville, 
southeast  of  Havana.  Here  I  held  a  series  of  meetings 
in  a  free  chapel,  and  had  quite  a  good  hearing.  I 
preached  also  near  Poplar  City  and  in  school  houses 
near  that  point,  so  that  the  people  had  heard  enough 
gospel  to  arouse  their  interest.  Several  Holiness 
workers  had  been  in  that  section  of  the  country  also 
and  the  people  were  agitated  upon  religious  subjects. 
I  was  not  able  to  work  in  harmony  with  the  Holiness 
evangelists  as  they  usually  held  to  some  sect,  while 
I  opposed  sectism.  Then,  though  we  agreed  upon  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  from  all  sins,  I  did  not  accept 
their  theory  of  two  separate  and  successive  experi- 
ences in  order  to  reach  Christian  perfection.  These 
things  gave  them  offense  and  they  would  not  work 
with  me.  On  the  other  hand,  I  considered  their  work 
superficial,  as  a  rule,  and  that  it  failed  to  bring  its 
votaries  to  a  real  salvation  from  sin  and  a  holy  life. 


146  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

The  camp-meeting  at  Poplar  City  was  held  in  August, 
1874.  It  was  largely  attended  by  the  people  of  the 
neighborhood,  and  quite  a  number  of  brethren  tented 
on  the  ground.  Some  brethren  were  present  from  a 
distance.  Elder  Rynders  and  I  did  all  the  preaching, 
I  doing  the  larger  share  of  it.  The"  meeting  was  quite 
successful,  many  of  the  results  continuing  until  the 
present  day,  after  more  than  thirty-seven  years.  A 
society  was  gathered  there  which  met  for  a  number 
of  years,  until  it  was  scattered  by  removals,  several 
of  the  members  of  it  coming  to  Sullivan.  Some  of 
those  who  were  saved  as  a  result  of  these  meetings 
have  gone  to  join  the  saints  on  the  other  shore,  among 
them,  Brothers  William  Poland  and  S.  A.  Poland, 
Brother  James  T.  Chancy  and  Sister  Martha  Poland. 
Elder  Rynders  took  up  his  residence  in  the  neighbor- 
hood and  looked  after  the  spiritual  interests  of  the 
church  there.  After  the  close  of  the  camp-meeting 
my  wife  and  I,  with  Paul,  took  a  trip  on  a  steamboat 
on  the  Illinois  river  from  Havana  to  Naples,  where 
my  father-in-law  lived.  This  was  the  only  steamboat 
ride  I  ever  had  and  I  enjoyed  it  very  much.  It  cer- 
tainly is  an  ideal  way  of  travelling,  especially  in 
pleasant  weather.  Paul  was  very  much  interested  in 
the  deck  hands;  he  had  never  seen  black  men,  and 
he  thought  they  were  dirty.  This  was  the  first  time 
since  her  marriage,  more  than  a  year  previously,  that 
my  wife  had  revisited  her  father's  family,  as  her 
stepmother  was  not  eminently  her  friend,  but  she 
thought  it  her  duty  to  visit  her.  Her  father  was  not 
at  home,  as  he  worked  at  his  trade  mostly  at  a  distance 
from  home,  which  was  most  conductive  to  his  peace 
of  mind.  We  were  courteously  received  and  hospit- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  147 

ably  treated  while  the  visit  lasted.  Soon  after  this 
visit  we  returned  to  our  home  in  Sullivan.  I  do  not 
now  recall  where  I  labored  during  the  autumn  and 
winter  of  1874-75,  but  a  large  part  of  my  time  was 
spent  in  gospel  labors  in  different  places.  On  January 
llth,  1875,  our  first  child  was  born,  a  boy,  whom  we 
named  Rufus  Magill,  the  first  name  for  his  father, 
and  the  other  his  mother's  maiden  name.  He  was  a 
large  and  robust  child  and  grew  quite  rapidly,  so  that 
when  three  months  old  he  weighed  more  than  twenty 
pounds.  In  the  spring  we  again  visited  Winchester 
and  I  did  some  preaching  in  that  region  and  again 
visited  my  father-in-law,  at  Naples.  The  feeling  at 
Sullivan  was  becoming  quite  hostile  to  the  gospel  and 
its  adherents,  and  some  threats  were  made  against  us. 
The  people  called  Campbellites  were  the  most  hostile. 
There  was  a  man  living  in  Sullivan  by  the  name  of 
L.  C.  Banks,  a  man  of  good  family,  who  had  been 
quite  friendly  to  me,  and  toward  the  gospel  I  preached 
though  he  was  a  "  Campbellite."  His  wife  professed 
salvation,  which  seemed  to  bring  about  an  alienation 
from  us  on  his  part,  which  was  aggravated  by  taunts 
of  his  friends,  who  insinuated  that  we  had  more  in- 
fluence over  his  wife  than  he  had.  He  forebade  his 
wife  to  attend  the  meetings  held  at  my  house,  or  in 
my  rooms  rather.  She  sought  advice  from  me  in  the 
matter,  and  I  told  her  that  the  New  Testament  strictly 
enjoined  upon  wives  to  obey  their  husbands,  and  that 
nothing  but  her  duty  to  God  could  take  precedence 
of  that  obligation;  that  she  must  decide  for  herself 
whether  her  duty  to  God  compelled  her  to  disobey 
her  husband  in  this  particular.  But  some  others, 
Brother  Delana  in  particular,  knew  more  about  her 


148  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

duty  than  I  did  and  insisted  that  she  must  disobey 
her  husband.  I  think,  and  then  thought  that  this  was 
bad  advice,  but  I  did  not  feel  free  to  advise  her  to 
stay  away  from  the  meetings.  Her  disobedience  en- 
raged her  husband  and  on  our  return  from  our  visit 
at  Winchester  we  found  the  church  quite  concerned 
at  the  condition  of  affairs.  It  was  Wednesday  and 
meeting  was  to  be  held  that  night,  and  Sister  Banks 
was  intending  to  be  there  and  her  husband  was  threat- 
ening vengeance.  I  did  not  feel  the  pressure  at  first 
and  was  disposed  to  make  light  of  their  fears,  but 
before  meeting  time,  I  began  to  realize  the  pressure 
of  the  powers  of  darkness.  There  was  a  general  at- 
tendance of  the  church  so  that  the  not  very  large 
room  was  full,  and  Sister  Banks  was  present.  The 
room  was  in  the  southwest  corner  of  the  house  and 
just  east  of  it  were  the  apartments  of  Brother  Delana. 
The  front  door  of  my  room  was  in  the  south  side, 
near  the  southeast  corner,  and  near  it  was  the  door 
into  the  room  east  of  it.  Brother  Delana  took  his 
seat  as  usual  in  my  room  between  my  front  door  and 
the  door  into  his  room.  I  sat  opposite  my  front  door 
near  the  door  of  the  dining-room  to  the  north.  As 
we  sang  the  first  hymn  Banks  made  his  appearance 
and  took  his  stand  in  my  front  door,  which  stood 
open.  My  intention  was  to  sing  or  talk  so  as  to  face 
Banks  and  give  him  no  opportunity  to  do  anything 
without  being  scrutinized  by  all  present,  as  I  saw  he 
was  bent  on  mischief.  Had  this  course  been  followed 
I  doubt  whether  he  would  have  had  the  courage  to 
'do  anything.  But  Brother  Delana,  who  was  an  old 
soldier  and  apparently  devoid  of  fear  and  really  de- 
void of  caution,  though  sitting  so  near  to  Banks  that 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  149 

he  could  touch  him  as  he  sat,  said,  "  Let  us  pray  "  and 
turned  his  back  to  Banks  and  knelt  down  to  pray. 
As  all  knelt,  this  relieved  Banks  of  public  scrutiny, 
though  I  took  the  precaution  to  turn  my  face  toward 
him,  thinking  it  a  proper  time  to  watch  as  well  as  to 
pray.  As  soon  as  Banks  saw  himself  unobserved  he 
exclaimed,  "  Yes,  say  your  prayers,  for  I  am  coming," 
drew  a  pistol  and  fired  at  Brother  Delana,  being  near 
enough  to  him  to  touch  him.  I  at  once  arose  and 
started  to  the  assistance  of  Brother  Delana,  thus  di- 
rectly approaching  Banks,  who  in  his  excitement  was 
trying  to  cock  his  revolver  to  shoot  me.  But  his 
mother,  who  had  followed  him,  and  unknown  to  those 
in  the  house,  stood  outside,  screamed  as  she  heard 
the  shot,  sprang  to  his  side,  and  seizing  hold  of  him, 
jerked  him  from  the  door  before  he  could  accomplish 
his  purpose.  He  then  ran  away.  I  never  have  boasted 
of  physical  courage,  indeed,  I  have,  always  thought 
myself  lacking  in  this  respect,  but  in  the  face  of  real 
danger  I  have  never  felt  fear.  In  this  instance  I 
might  have  retired  through  the  door  behind  me  and 
avoided  the  threatened  shot,  but  the  idea  did  not 
enter  my  mind.  I  did  not  think  of  the  danger  of 
death  that  confronted  me,  but  only  of  the  wounded 
man.  Brother  Delana's  almost  erect  position  as  he 
knelt  in  prayer,  and  the  downward  trend  of  the  pistol 
caused  a  glancing  impact  of  the  bullet.  It  struck  him 
in  the  back,  about  half-way  between  the  shoulder  and 
the  hip,  on  the  right  side  of  the  spinal  column,  on 
the  ridge  or  dorsal  muscles  lying  there,  and  glanced 
downward,  lodging  in  the  muscles  of  the  hip,  making 
but  a  shallow  wound.  The  pistol  could  not  have  been 
heavier  than  a  thirty-two  caliber.  The  ball  afterward 


150  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

gave  him  some  trouble,  from  its  irritating  the  sciatic 
nerve,  but  it  was  never  extracted.  This  attack  caused 
considerable  excitement  in  the  town,  and  threats  of 
mobbing  me  were  made,  but  nothing  came  of  these 
threats,  though  the  spiritual  atmosphere  was  charged 
with  ill-will  toward  us  for  some  time  afterward, 
making  this  world  seem  like  a  very  undesirable  place 
of  residence.  Some  one  reported  the  occurrence  to 
the  Police  Gazette,  which  gave  it  a  prominent  place 
in  its  columns  with  an  unfair  and  slanderous  state- 
ment of  the  case.  All  this  was  very  humiliating. 
Dr.  Abram  Kellar,  a  "  Campbellite  "  preacher,  wrote 
a  libelous  account  of  the  affair  for  the  newspapers, 
and  altogether  we  were  subjected  to  much  reproach 
and  contempt.  And  all  for  what  crime?  Simply  for 
preaching  the  gospel  as  we  understood  it,  and  for 
quietly  worshipping  God  according  to  our  under- 
standing of  His  requirements,  without  injuring  or  dis- 
turbing others,  a  right  guaranteed  us  by  the  constitu- 
tion and  laws  of  the  land.  But  God's  children  have 
found  in  all  ages  that  the  citizens  of  the  heavenly 
country  have  no  rights  which  worldly  men  feel  bound 
to  respect.  The  spiritual  descendants  of  Cain  are 
born  persecutors.  No  efforts  were  made  by  the  church 
to  bring  Banks  to  justice  for  his  crime.  Indeed,  they 
had  no  desire  to  see  him  punished  by  human  laws, 
being  satisfied  to  leave  him  in  the  divine  hands.  But 
the  next  grand  jury  seemed  to  think  it  necessary  to 
take  some  cognizance  of  the  affair  ''  to  save  its  face," 
so  to  speak.  But  they  were  careful  to  subprena  no. 
witness  who  would  testify  against  Banks,  though  they 
were  furnished  with  the  names  of  such  witnesses. 
As  they  had  learned  that  the  brethren  were  in  con- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  151 

science  restrained  from  taking  an  oath  or  an  affirm- 
ation according  to  the  legal  form,  which  has  all  the 
force  of  an  oath,  they  subpcened  Brother  A.  P. 
Powers  to  go  before  them  to  testify  against  Banks. 
As  he  could  not  do  this,  he  was  reported  to  the  sitting 
Circuit  Judge,  who  remanded  him  to  the  custody  of 
the  sheriff,  where  he  remained  until  the  adjournment 
of  court,  when  the  judge  fined  him  one  hundred 
dollars  for  contempt  of  court.  This  sum,  however, 
was  far  short  of  expressing  the  contempt  which  such 
a  court  merited.  This  righteous  and  upright  judge 
was  from  Champaign  county  and  "  Fate  tried  to  con- 
ceal him  by  naming  him  '  Smith.'  "  In  the  trial  of  a 
murder  case  some  time  afterward,  the  Hon.  John  R. 
Eden,  one  of  the  attornies  in  the  case  taunted  Judge 
Smith,  who  was  presiding  in  the  case,  with  the  in- 
justice of  this  fine,  but  the  judge  did  not  fine  the 
learned  counsel  for  contempt.  The  accused  man  was 
turned  loose,  of  course,  as  was  intended  from  the 
first.  The  miscarriage  of  justice  in  this  case  was  too 
much  for  the  sense  of  fair  play,  which  is  inherent  in 
the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  and  public  opinion  veered  a 
little  toward  the  right.  Satan  is  a  great  strategist, 
but  either  like  the  poets,  he  sometimes  nods,  or  he  has 
not  perfect  control  of  his  agents,  for,  as  is  frequently 
the  case,  he  pushed  the  joke  too  far  and  produced  a 
reaction  against  his  own  cause.  My  wife  was  so 
shocked  by  the  shooting  episode  that  she  did  not 
recover  from  its  effects  for  many  months.  She  was 
constantly  haunted  by  the  fear  that  I  would  be  assassi- 
nated. We  learned  from  bitter  experience  how  much 
security  for  life  or  property  the  laws  of  the  land  af- 
forded to  Christians.  Their  protection  was  not  worth 


152  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

a  rush.  And  why  should  Christians  expect  protection 
from  human  laws  or  human  governments?  If  Jesus 
instead  of  being  an  hysterical  fanatic,  spoke  words 
of  truth  and  soberness  when  he  declared,  "  Behold  I 
send  you  forth  as  lambs  in  the  midst  of  the  wolves," 
we  have  no  reason  to  look  for  security  from  such  a 
source.  Lambs  are  ill  protected  by  laws  made  by 
wolves,  their  natural  enemies.  "  God  is  the  refuge 
of  His  saints,"  and  they  need  no  other  defence. 

I  have  omitted  a  visit  made  in  April,  1875,  to  Iowa, 
in  which  I  was  accompanied  by  Brother  Delana  and 
Brother  J.  R.  Poland.  I  left  my  wife  and  children 
in  Mason  county  near  the  site  of  the  camp-meeting 
the  previous  year,  with  friends,  and  went  first  to  a 
point  in  eastern  Iowa  near  West  Liberty,  where 
Brother  Poland's  brother  lived.  Here  I  halted  and 
held  a  series  of  meetings  in  a  school  house.  It  was 
very  cold  weather  for  the  time  of  year,  a  heavy  snow 
being  on  the  ground.  Brother  Poland  went  no  further 
with  us,  but  Brother  Delana  and  I  went  on  to  Craw- 
ford county  in  western  Iowa.  Here  some  brethren 
lived,  among  them  Brother  David  McCord,  who  had 
removed  there  from  Arcola,  Illinois.  I  held  some 
meetings  here  also  and  we  then  returned  to  Illinois, 
I  stopping  in  Mason  county  for  my  family. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
MY  VISIT  TO  INDIANA. 

On  July  4th,  1875,  Brother  Delana  and  wife,  and  my 
family  and  myself,  started  by  private  conveyance  to 
southern  Indiana  to  hold  gospel  meetings.  The  con- 
veyance, aforesaid,  was  a  covered  wagon,  drawn  by 
a  team  of  mules,  the  outfit  being  the  property  of 
Brother  Delana.  The  mules,  as  is  often  the  case  with 
those  sagacious  hybrids,  had  their  own  ideas  about 
the  proper  length  of  a  day's  journey,  which  did  not 
always  coincide  with  the  opinion  of  the  driver;  and 
if  the  day's  drive  was  extended  beyond  what  the  mules 
considered  the  proper  distance,  it  must  be  at  the  ex- 
pense of  much  muscular  effort  in  wielding  a  whip. 
Brother  Delana  was  properly  called  a  Jehu,  for  "  he 
drove  furiously,"  and  with  his  trusty  "  black-snake," 
he  was  adequate  to  all  demands  made  upon  him  in 
this  line.  I  had  never  been  in  the  section  of  country 
we  were  purposing  to  visit  and  knew  no  one  therein, 
but  Brother  Delana  had  grown  up  there  and  thought 
it  hopeful  ground  for  gospel  labors.  We  drove  through 
Mattoon,  Prairie  City  (now  called  Toledo),  Greenup, 
Newton,  Olney  and  Edwardsville  to  Grayville,  on  the 
Wabash  river,  and  thence  down  that  river  to  New 
Harmony,  Indiana,  crossing  the  river  at  that  point. 
New  Harmony  was  founded  by  Robert  Owen,  or  by 
Robert  Dale  Owen,  his  son,  on  the  communistic  plan, 

153 


154  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

but  it  had  not  proved  a  success  as  an  investment. 
Human  nature  was  too  strong  for  Socialistic  theories; 
and,  though  the  town  was  dedicated  to  infidelity,  a 
number  of  Christian  societies  had  invaded  this  strong- 
hold of  unbelief.  This  town  is  situated  in  Posey 
county,  Indiana.  I  had  often  heard  this  county  men- 
tioned in  derision,  and  had  supposed  that  it  was  a 
backwoods  sort  of  community,  and  that  the  soil  was 
rather  barren.  I  found,  to  my  surprise,  that  I  was 
much  mistaken  in  my  preconceived  notions.  The  soil 
is  fertile  and  the  people  enterprising.  It  is  said  that 
the  county  got  its  bad  repute  from  the  circumstance, 
that  emigrants  from  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee 
and  other  southern  states,  who  were  mostly  poor 
whites,  in  journeying  toward  the  states  further  west, 
would  get  as  far  as  the  Ohio  river  the  first  year 
and  cross  this  stream  into  southern  Indiana,  where 
they  would  remain  until  the  next  fall,  "  making  a 
crap,"  when  they  would  go  to  Iowa,  Missouri  or 
Nebraska.  In  passing  through  Illinois,  if  asked  where 
they  were  from,  they  would  reply,  "  From  Posey 
county,  Indiana."  Their  "  oufits "  gave  a  bad  im- 
pression of  the  place  whence  they  professed  to  come. 
Posey  county  forms  the  southern  pocket  of  the  state, 
and  Mount  Vernon  is  its  county  seat,  situated  on  the 
Ohio  river,  at  the  southern-most  point  of  the  state. 
The  soil  is  a  reddish,  loamy  clay  and  is  quite  fertile. 
Great  quantities  of  watermelons  are  now  grown  there 
and  shipped  to  northern  markets.  The  residents  are 
principally  of  southern  extraction  and  are  quite  hos- 
pitable. We  stopped  at  a  point  southeast  of  New 
Harmony,  and  about  eight  miles  north  of  Mount 
Vernon.  We  put  up  with  an  acquaintance  of  Brother 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  155 

Delana's,  named  Lafayette  Alexander,  who  had  been 
a  fellow  soldier  with  Brother  Delana  in  the  Civil  War. 
He  was  a  well-to-do  farmer  and  had  a  spacious  resi- 
dence, capable  of  accommodating  us  all,  and  he  and  his 
wife  were  very  hospitable  people  and  made  us  feel 
at  home.  We  had  been  several  days  on  our  journey, 
passing  the  nights  in  a  tent  with  which  we  were 
provided,  and  cooking  our  own  meals.  After  spending 
a  short  time  at, Mr.  Alexander's,  we  were  invited  to 
put  up  with  his  father-in-law,  Mr.  James  French,  a 
wealthy  farmer  of  the  neighborhood,  and  a  Methodist. 
In  the  vicinity  was  a  Methodist  meeting-house,  which 
was  offered  for  our  use  and  on  the  first  Sunday 
of  our  stay  I  preached  in  it  morning  and  night  to  good 
audiences.  At  night  my  theme  was  from  the  24th 
Psalm :  "  Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord, 
and  who  shall  stand  in  His  holy  place?  He  that  hath 
clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart,  etc.''  I  showed  that 
the  "  hill  of  the  Lord,"  Mount  Zion,  was  a  type  of 
the  Christian  church,  as  was  the  "  holy  place "  in 
the  tabernacle  which  David  had  located  on  that  hill ; 
that  the  priests  who  ministered  there  were  types  of 
Christians ;  and  that  the  questions  asked  in  the  quoted 
passage  were  equivalent  to  the  question,  "  Who  is 
fit  for  membership  in  the  Church  of  Christ?"  Then 
I  dwelt  upon  the  answer  to  the  question.  Before 
going  to  Indiana  I  had  heard  of  a  Separate  Baptist 
preacher  of  that  vicinity  by  the  name  of  J.  J.  Rusk; 
that  he  had  had  trouble  with  some  of  the  members 
of  his  congregation  and  had  carried  a  revolver  with 
which  to  defend  himself  against  them.  He  had  been 
quite  a  successful  preacher  and  had  established  several 
new  churches  in  waste  places.  When  I  closed  this 


156  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

sermon  a  stranger  arose  in  the  audience  and  began  to 
speak.  I  noticed  that  he  seemed  much  affected  and 
the  tears  ran  down  his  face.  He  began  by  saying  that 
what  they  had  just  heard  was  the  truth;  that  it 
presented  a  truth  they  all  needed;  one  that  he  in- 
dividually needed  and  he  exhorted  the  hearers  as 
they  valued  their  souls  not  to  resist  the  truth ;  that 
it  would  damn  any  man  to  resist  God's  truth,  etc. 
At  the  close  of  the  service  he  introduced  himself  to 
me  as  Elder  J.  J.  Rusk,  and  invited  me  to  use  his 
pulpit,  which  invitation  I  accepted.  The  Separate 
Baptists  are  a  small  sect,  quite  numerous  in  south- 
western Indiana,  with  scattering  societies  in  southern 
Illinois  and  Kentucky.  They  are  Free  Will  Baptists, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  Baptists  who  are  Calvin- 
istic.  I  began  meetings  in  Elder  J.  J.  Rusk's  church 
at  once  and  continued  them  nightly  for  two  or  more 
weeks.  Brother  Rusk  stood  by  the  gospel  I  preached 
with  fidelity,  and  quite  an  impression  was  made  on 
the  audiences  that  attended  the  services.  The  results 
will  be  seen  in  eternity.  The  pastor,  himself,  showed 
unusual  teachableness  and  soon  found  salvation  from 
sin.  During  my  meetings,  the  regular  monthly  meeting 
Sunday  came  and  the  pastor  preached  on  Saturday 
afternoon,  with  an  appointment  for  me  at  night.  As 
the  afternoon  meeting  was  a  church  meeting  I  did  not 
attend  it.  When  I  reached  the  meeting  at  night 
Brother  Rusk  asked  me  if  I  could  guess  what  his  text 
was  in  the  afternoon.  Of  course  I  could  not  guess, 
and  he  informed  me  that  it  was,  "  I  know  you  that  ye 
have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you."  It  was,  no  doubt, 
a  pointed  discourse.  I  afterward  visited  several  other 
points  in  the  county  and  preached.  In  a  place  called 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  157 

Springfield  I  preached  several  sermons  and  put  up 
with  an  old  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Carl  Pitts,  who 
was  an  extensive  farmer  and  was  then,  or  had  re- 
cently been,  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature.  I 
preached  in  a  school  house,  the  Methodists  refusing 
me  the  use  of  their  house,  but  came  out  to  hear  me, 
enduring  the  inconveniences  of  a  crowded  house  and 
poor  seats,  thus  locking  themselves  out  of  their  own 
house.  Such  conduct  seemed  to  me  quite  inconsistent 
and  foolish.  Such  is  bigotry.  I  also  held  several 
meetings  in  Mount  Vernon  in  the  Congregationalist 
house.  This  society  was  then  without  a  pastor.  They 
had  a  fine  new  house  but  its  acoustic  properties  were 
about  equal  to  those  of  a  cubical  box.  There  was 
nothing  promising  in  these  meetings.  I  preached  one 
night  at  a  point  several  miles  north  of  Mount  Vernon 
in  a  Baptist  chapel.  During  the  services,  some  prac- 
tical jokers  removed  the  taps  from  the  axles  of  Brother 
Delana's  wagon,  thus  exposing  the  lives  of  the  occu- 
pants when  they  should  start  to  ride  home.  Fortu- 
nately the  trick  was  discovered  before  any  harm  was 
done.  This  meeting  house  was  set  up  on  blocks  or 
pillars  and  left  without  underpinning,  and  the  hogs 
had  adopted  the  space  underneath  the  floor  for  a 
sleeping  place,  and  the  building  seemed  more  prolific 
of  fleas  than  of  righteousness. 

During  the  latter  part  of  July  there  was  much  wet 
weather  and  the  streams  in  southern  Indiana  and 
Illinois  overflowed  their  banks.  The  Wabash  river 
was  out  over  the  bottoms,  covering  hundreds  of  acres 
of  corn-fields.  This,  taken  with  the  hot  weather, 
produced  malaria.  From  my  first  coming  to  Illinois 
I  had  been  quite  subject  to  malarial  attacks  in  the 


158  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

summer  and  fall.  About  the  first  of  August  I  was 
taken  sick  with  intermittent  fever  in  the  form  of  "  third 
day  ague,"  and  I  was  quite  sick  for  several  days,  but 
soon  began  to  recover.  Brother  Delana  was  also  at- 
tacked with  sciatic  rheumatism  in  his  knee,  the  result 
of  the  irritation  of  the  bullet  in  his  hip.  After  having 
spent  a  month  or  more  in  Indiana,  we  started  on  our 
return  trip,  both  Brother  Delana  and  I  being 
somewhat  incapacitated  for  work.  When  we  reached 
Mattoon  Brother  Delana  was  feeling  so  badly  that 
he  and  his  wife  took  the  train  for  home,  leaving  me 
to  drive  the  team  the  last  twenty  miles.  It  was  so 
late  that  we  could  not  reach  Sullivan  until  after  night. 
When  we  reached  the  Okaw  (Kaskia)  river  about 
four  miles  east  of  Sullivan,  it  was  already  dark,  and 
we  found  the  bridge  over  the  river  had  been  washed 
out  by  the  high  waters.  We  could  see  that  teams 
had  been  fording  the  river  above  the  bridge  and  we 
drove  in.  Now  for  a  mile  or  two  above  the  bridge 
there  were  two  different  beds  or  channels  of  the 
river,  an  old  channel  and  a  newer  one  which  con- 
verged just  above  the  bridge.  I  was  ignorant  of  this 
fact  and  when  I  struck  the  point  of  the  island  between 
the  two  channels  I  drove  onto  it  and  finding  a  road, 
I  followed  it.  Things  did  not  look  just  right,  but  I 
knew  there  was  but  the  one  road  on  the  west  of 
the  river  and  I  could  not  see  how  I  could  be  wrong. 
After  having  driven  a  half  mile  or  so,  the  moon  rose 
in  front  of  me.  I  thought  I  was  driving  west,  but 
I  was  pretty  sure  that  the  moon  rose  in  the  east. 
Then  shortly  I  found  a  large  tree  lying  across  the 
road.  I  saw  that  I  must  turn  back,  but  the  road  was 
so  narrow  and  the  trees  so  thick  on  both  sides  there 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  159 

was  no  room  to  turn.  Fortunately  we  had  an  ax  with 
us  and  after  I  had  cut  down  several  small  trees  we 
were  able  to  turn  and  retrace  our  steps.  When  we 
reached  the  river  the  moonlight  revealed  the  true  state 
of  affairs,  and  we  reached  home  about  ten  o'clock 
without  any  further  adventures. 

We  had  appointed  a  camp-meeting  in  August  of 
that  year  to  be  held  in  the  northern  part  of  Macoupin 
county,  at  a  point  called  "  Barr's  Store."  This  place 
was  in  a  heavily  timbered  region,  and,  as  is  commonly 
the  case  in  Illinois  in  such  neighborhoods,  was  in- 
habited by  a  simple  backwoods  kind  of  people  not 
noted  for  enterprise  nor  intelligence.  Contrary  to 
what  I  naturally  expected,  I  have  not  found  the  gospel 
most  successful  among  this  class  of  people.  There 
is  usually  among  such  persons  a  lack  of  moral  stamina, 
which  is  essential  to  success  in  Christian  living.  No 
doubt  it  is  as  true  now  as  when  the  great  apostle 
wrote  it,  that  "  not  many  wise  men  after  the  flesh, 
not  many  noble  are  called,  but  that  God  hath  chosen 
the  poor  of  this  world,  rich  in  faith  and  heirs  of  the 
kingdom."  Wealth  and  culture  are  not  auxiliaries  of 
the  gospel,  but  it  is  not  generally  the  very  poor,  the 
"  submerged  tenth,"  that  are  most  easily  reached  by 
the  gospel  message.  It  is  the  class  between  these  two 
extremes  who  are  most  accessible,  and  among  whom 
the  gospel  has  its  greatest  triumphs.  A  fair  degree  of 
intelligence  and  independence  of  character  are  most 
favorable  to  present  and  final  success  in  holy  living.  I 
have  often  been  struck  with  admiration  of  the  wisdom 
of  Agur's  prayer :  "  Remove  far  from  me  vanity  and 
lies ;  give  me  neither  poverty  or  riches ;  feed  me  with 
food  convenient  for  me :  lest  I  be  rich  and  say  '  who  is 


160  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  Lord,'  or  lest  I  be  poor  and  steal  and  take  the  name 
of  the  Lord  in  vain."  This  camp-meeting,  while  rea- 
sonably well  attended,  was  apparently  one  of  the  least 
successful  I  have  held.  During  the  winter  of  1875-76 
I  visited  Fulton  county,  Illinois,  and  held  some  meet- 
ings in  the  village  of  Liverpool  on  the  Illinois  river. 
I  had  quite  a  good  hearing,  and  some  favorable  im- 
pressions were  made,  which  afterward  culminated  in 
the  salvation  of  some  souls  in  the  following  spring. 
I  visited  the  same  neighborhood  again  but '  did  my 
preaching  in  a  country  school  house  on  the  river  bluffs. 
This  was  a  neighborhood  where  they  had  but  few  re- 
ligious meetings ;  the  people  were  careless  and  indif- 
ferent and  more  than  usually  immoral.  It  seemed, 
however,  like  a  good  field  for  religious  effort  and  I 
determined  to  continue  my  labors  in  that  vicinity. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

MORE  CAMP-MEETINGS  AND  OTHER 
MEETINGS. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  I  chronicle  all  the 
meetings  that  I  held,  but  only  the  more  important  ones. 
I  travelled  extensively  and  put  in  most  of  my  time 
in  gospel  work.  When  at  home  I  did  some  work  in 
garden  and  truck  work.  Meetings  were  held  regularly 
at  my  house  each  Sunday  and  each  Wednesday  night. 
These  meetings  have  been  kept  up  regularly  since 
1871,  nearly  forty  years  at  this  writing.  The  con- 
gregation was  quite  small  at  first  but  has  gradually 
increased  in  numbers  and,  I  trust,  in  the  graces  of  the 
Spirit,  also.  We  found  it  a  difficult  lesson  to  learn, 
to  worship  God  in  Spirit  and  in  truth.  The  first  hin- 
drance that  we  found  that  was  serious  was  the  natural 
tendency  found  in  all  beginners,  to  judge  one  another 
concerning  things  indifferent.  Each  person  is  inclined 
to  make  his  own  conscience  the  standard  of  judgment 
regarding  the  conduct  of  his  brethren.  This  is  grieving 
to  God  and  forbidden  in  His  word,  but  tyros  in  religion 
do  this  in  ignorance.  Each  one  thinks  what  he  cannot 
do,  no  one  else  ought  to  do.  We  gradually  learned 
the  evil  and  error  of  this  course,  and  attained  to  the 
spirit  of  tolerance  respecting  things  not  clearly  com- 
manded nor  forbidden.  Another  lesson  not  easy  to 
learn,  is  how  to  be  led  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  worship 

161 


162  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

and  other  religious  exercises.  Unless  we  are  so  led, 
our  efforts  will  be  formal  and  lifeless  and  of  no  benefit 
to  any  one. 

In  August,  1876,  we  held  a  camp-meeting  in  Fulton 
county,  Illinois,  at  a  point  about  twelve  miles  south, 
and  a  little  east,  of  the  city  of  Canton.  The  grounds 
were  near  a  school  house  in  the  district  Number  5 
in  township  No.  5  and  was  consequently  called  "  5-5  " 
school  house.  The  camp  ground  was  in  a  fine  grove 
of  oak  trees.  The  meeting  was  quite  largely  attended 
and  was  of  unusual  interest.  But  few  meetings  I 
have  held  were  as  prolific  of  manifest  results  as  this 
one.  I  was  assisted  in  the  preaching  by  Brother 
Andrew  Rynders,  who  had  removed  from  his  former 
home  in  Waverly,  Morgan  county  to  Mason  county,  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  Poplar  City  camp-meeting,  that  he 
might  look  after  the  brethren  in  that  section.  A 
number  of  persons  were  saved  as  a  result  of  this 
meeting,  and  I  visited  this  county  regularly  about  twice 
each  year  for  a  number  of  years,  preaching  principally 
at  "  5-5  "  and  in  the  village  of  Bryant.  On  October 
3rd  of  this  year  (1876),  our  second  son  was  born, 
and  was  named  Lucius  Romaine.  Not  long  after  this 
increase  in  my  family  I  visited  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio, 
for  the  purpose  of  holding  meetings.  Brother  Kellar, 
a  minister  in  the  Church  of  God  (commonly  called 
Winebrennarians),  sent  for  me  to  visit  that  city  and 
preach  the  gospel.  Brother  Kellar  was  the  father-in- 
law  of  Elder  D.  S.  Warner,  who  afterward  organized 
a  religious  society  and  published  a  periodical  called 
"  The  Gospel  Trumpet."  The  religious  movement 
which  culminated  in  the  organization  of  the  "  Church 
of  God  "  was  initiated  by  a  preacher  in  Pennsylvania, 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  163 

named  John  Winebrennar,  a  man  of  considerable 
ability  and  spiritual  understanding.  He  held  truly  that 
the  Church  of  Christ  was  composed  of  all  true  Chris- 
tians, and  of  such  only ;  and  that  consequently  it  was 
a  unit.  Unfortunately,  he  held  to  carnal  ordinances, 
and  finally  organized  a  sect  contrary  to  his  own  teach- 
ings. These  people  call  their  houses  "  Bethels,"  and 
the  bethel  in  Upper  Sandusky  had  fallen  into  disuse 
and  Brother  Kellar  had  bought  it.  In  it  I  held  meet- 
ings and  the  attendance  was  encouraging.  There  was 
a  preacher  by  the  name  of  Clemmons  living  in  the 
vicinity.  He  lived  on  a  farm  a  short  distance  from 
the  town,  and  was  a  man  of  considerable  wealth, 
with  a  collegiate  education  and  good  natural  ability. 
He  was  a  religious  Ishmaelite,  his  hand  being  against 
every  man,  and  every  man's  hand  against  him.  He 
belonged  to  no  sect,  but  was  anti-sectarian.  He 
preached  on  the  streets  and  in  his  manner  of  address 
was  abusive  and  intolerant,  though  in  the  main, 
speaking  the  truth.  He  was  a  large  man,  with  im- 
posing presence  and  domineering  disposition.  He 
made  a  practice  of  going  into  religious  meetings  and 
interrupting  the  services,  for  which  offence  he  was 
afterward  arrested,  and  it  was  said  that  he  had  been 
in  nearly  every  jail  in  northwestern  Ohio,  as  well  as  in 
other  parts  of  the  country.  By  reason  of  the  truths  he 
told  and  his  offensive  manner  of  telling  them  he  had 
become  so  detested  where  he  was  best  known  that  he 
could  get  no  hearing  except  by  addressing  other  men's 
congregations.  I  think  he  was  sincere  in  his  work  in 
the  beginning,  but  had  become  soured  by  the  oppo- 
sition and  persecution  until  he  gave  no  one  credit  for 
honesty.  This  man  came  to  our  meetings  and  at  the 


164  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

close  of  the  sermon  he  would  arise  and  endeavor  to 
criticise  what  he  had  heard,  though  really  there  was 
little  difference  in  our  religious  views.  He  endeavored 
to  show  a  friendly  spirit  by  inviting  me  to  his  home, 
which  invitation  I  accepted,  though  I  did  not  expect 
to  enjoy  my  visit,  and  was  treated  with  courtesy  and 
hospitality.  But  his  attitude  toward  the  meetings  did 
not  change  and  Brother  Kellar  got  restive  under  his 
attacks.  He  much  disliked  Mr.  Clemmons  anyway 
and  there  was  no  love  lost  between  them.  I  advised 
patience,  hoping  he  would  tire  of  his  assaults,  but 
whether  he  did  or  not  I  was  opposed  to  any  resistance 
as  contrary  to  the  teachings  of  Christ.  However, 
Brother  Kellar  did  not  look  at  things  in  the  same  way 
and  determined  to  have  Clemmons  arrested.  As  he 
owned  the  house  I  could  not  prevent  him,  and  he  called 
a  policeman  and  ordered  him  to  make  the  arrest. 
Clemmons  had  studied  law  and  had  been  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  order  to  be  able  to  defend  himself  in 
court,  and  denied  that  he  had  been  disorderly,  as  I 
held  free  meetings,  and  defied  the  policeman  to  arrest 
him ;  and  as  the  officer  feared  to  do  so  without  a  war- 
rant, the  attempt  fell  through,  making  matters  worse 
instead  of  better.  I  publicly  disclaimed  any  responsi- 
bility in  the  matter  but  Clemmons  did  not  believe  me. 
However,  afterward  I  had  the  opportunity  of  demon- 
strating my  sincerity,  as  he  afterward  attended  a 
meeting  I  held  in  Findlay,  Ohio,  where  I  had  full  con- 
trol of  its  conduct,  and  where  he  had  liberty  to  talk 
all  he  wished  until  he  was  convinced  of  my  honesty 
and  ceased  to  oppose. 

In  December,  1876,  I  revisited  the  scene  of  my  labors 
in  southern  Indiana.     Brother  Andrew  Rvnders  and 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  165 

Brother  J.  R.  Poland,  of  Mason  county,  accompanied 
me.  I  held  another  series  of  meetings  in  Brother 
Rusk's  church,  but  I  was  disappointed  to  find  that 
Brother  Rusk  was  not  in  so  good  a  spiritual  condition 
as  when  I  had  left  him  more  than  a  year  before ;  nor 
has  he  ever  since  regained  the  lost  ground.  He  had 
in  some  way  compromised  or  let  down.  He  was  a 
preacher  when  the  gospel  found  him  and  he  continued 
to  preach,  but  either  he  had  no  call  to  preach  or  he 
rendered  his  labors  nugatory  by  unfaithfulness,  since 
he  had  no  success  in  saving  souls.  According  to  Mr. 
Wesley,  the  marks  of  a  divine  call  and  commission 
are  three :  "  Has  he  gifts  ?  Has  he  grace  ?  Has  he 
fruits  ?  "  Any  man  having  these  marks  is  supposed 
to  be  called.  But  the  latter  is  the  most  important 
proof  of  a  divine  call,  as  to  have  genuine  fruit  he 
must  have  the  other  two  marks  in  some  degree ;  while 
a  man  may  have  gifts  and  grace  without  any  call 
to  preach,  and  fruits  are  prima  facie  evidence  of  God's 
help  and  consequent  approval. 

About  the  first  of  July,  1877,  Brother  Henry  Cain 
and  I  drove  down  to  Clay  county,  Illinois,  about  sixty 
miles  south  of  Sullivan,  where  he  had  relatives  and 
acquaintances.  Brother  Cain  had  been  a  very  wicked 
man,  according  to  his  own  testimony,  and  the  change 
made  by  grace  was  so  marked  as  to  appear  wonderful 
to  those  who  had  known  him  in  his  wickedness.  It 
was  a  fulfillment  of  the  scripture,  "  Behold,  I  work  a 
work  in  your  day,  a  work  which  ye  will  in  no  wise  be- 
lieve, though  a  man  tell  it  unto  you."  He  held  out  for 
many  years,  and  when  past  the  scripture  limit  of  life, 
died  in  great  peace,  "  As  fades  a  summer  cloud  away." 
We  put  up  with  his  brother-in-law,  J.  M.  Aldrich,  in 


166  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  neighborhood  of  Keen's  chapel,  where  I  had  an 
appointment  to  preach.  The  word  was  well  received 
and  while  we  were  in  that  neighborhood  we  made  ar- 
rangements to  hold  camp-meeting  in  August  at  a  point 
about  half  way  between  the  villages  Tola  and  LaClede. 
The  camp-meeting  began  at  the  time  appointed  and 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  and  successful 
meetings  I  have  ever  held.  Brother  Rusk  was  there 
to  assist  me,  accompanied  by  another  Baptist  minister 
by  the  name  of  F.  M.  Kerr.  Mr.  Kerr  was  about  to 
withdraw  from  the  Baptists  and  come  out  on  an  in- 
dependent line.  He  afterward  removed  from  Indiana 
to  Clay  county  and  lived  in  lola  for  several  years,  and 
then  for  a  short  time  in  Fulton  county,  during  this 
time  collaborating  with  me ;  but  becoming  dissatisfied, 
he  returned  to  Indiana  and  the  Baptist  communion. 
Both  he  and  Brother  Rusk  had  been  soldiers  in  the 
Civil  War  and  both  obtained  pensions  from  the  govern- 
ment to  assist  in  their  support  in  their  old  age.  Mr. 
Kerr  had  good  abilities  as  a  preacher  but  had  little 
success  in  evangelistic  work.  The  congregation  wor- 
shipping in  Keen  chapel  were  Protestant  Methodists 
and  their  pastor  was  a  man  named  Gentry,  who  lived 
in  the  neighborhood.  He  became  displeased  with  the 
preaching  at  the  camp-meeting  and  made  threats  of 
running  us  off  the  ground  if  we  did  not  leave  volun- 
tarily. This  we  declined  to  do.  In  conducting  a  camp- 
meeting,  I  have  never  called  upon  the  civil  powers  for 
police  protection,  nor  did  we  have  any  guards  of 
our  own  stationed  about  the  camp  during  the  night. 
We  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  non-resistance,  and  prac- 
tice what  we  preach.  We  depended  upon  the  Lord 
above  to  preserve  order  and  give  us  protection.  When 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  167 

the  services  were  over  at  night  we  all  retired  to  our 
tents,  extinguished  our  lights  and  went  to  sleep,  and 
of  the  numerous  meetings  of  the  kind  which  I  have 
held  though  the  truth  was  fearlessly  preached,  which 
is  abhorred  by  the  multitude,  we  had  no  disorder  and 
were  never  disturbed.  I  afterward  learned,  however, 
that  had  Mr.  Gentry  attempted  to  carry  out  his  threat 
he  would  have  met  with  a  warm  reception  from  citi- 
zens of  the  neighborhood,  who  volunteered  to  protect 
us,  and  had  established  a  guard  around  the  camp. 
This  conduct  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Gentry  proved  to 
be  a  boomerang  and  in  a  few  years  his  congregation 
was  entirely  wiped  out,  and  the  chapel  took  fire  and 
burned  to  the  ground.  Mr.  Gentry  afterward  became 
friendly  and  would  come  to  hear  me  preach  when  I 
held  meetings  in  his  neighborhood.  This  was  prob- 
ably the  most  successful  camp-meeting  I  ever  held  and 
its  results  are  the  most  enduring.  For  thirty-four 
years  I  have  continued  to  visit  that  community  and 
hold  meetings  two  or  more  times  each  year.  A  number 
have  been  saved,  among  them  several  of  whom  have 
passed  over  to  the  other  shore. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  this  meeting  I  held  another 
camp-meeting  in  Scott  county,  Illinois,  a  few  miles 
east  of  Winchester.  There  had  been  much  gospel 
preaching  in  this  part  of  the  country  and  nothing 
remarkable  occurred  during  this  meeting.  After  its 
close,  if  I  remember  correctly,  I  held  a  grove-meeting 
in  Morgan  county,  near  Murrayville,  before  returning 
home.  I  do  not  remember  the  meetings  I  held  during 
the  fall  and  the  winter  of  1877-78,  but  most  of  my  time 
was  spent  in  evangelistic  work.  In  April,  1878, 
Brother  Delana  and  I  made  a  trip  to  western  Iowa. 


168  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

We  went  by  way  of  Mason  county,  Illinois,  and 
Brother  J.  R.  Poland  accompanied  us  to  eastern  Iowa, 
where  his  brother  Joseph  lived,  and  we  stopped  with 
his  family  and  held  some  meetings  in  a  school  house 
nearby.  We  left  Mason  county  in  a  snowstorm 
and  by  the  time  we  reached  Iowa,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  West  Liberty,  there  was  a  heavy  blanket  of  snow 
on  the  ground  and  the  weather  was  frigid.  It  was 
the  heaviest  snow  and  the  coldest  weather  I  have 
ever  seen  in  April.  At  the  close  of  these  meetings 
Brother  Delana  and  I  proceeded  on  our  way  to  Craw- 
ford county,  but  Brother  Poland  went  no  further. 
In  1871  Brothers  David  McCord  and  Joseph  Duncan, 
whose  wives  were  sisters,  removed  from  Arcola,  Illi- 
nois, to  Crawford  county,  Iowa,  and  settled  upon 
raw  land,  deeded  to  their  wives  by  their  father-in-law. 
In  1872  W.  A.  Duncan  and  his  wife,  Sister  Lydia 
Duncan,  removed  to  the  same  county.  In  the  fall 
of  1876  Brother  Andrew  Rynders  and  I  held  a  little 
camp-meeting  at  Dow  City,  in  that  county  which  I 
forgot  to  mention  in  its  proper  place.  This  was  the 
year  of  the  plague  of  grasshoppers  in  western  Iowa. 
They  were  equal  to  the  eastern  locusts  in  their  de- 
struction of  vegetation.  The  brethren  in  that  county 
had  been  holding  regular  meetings  and  as  we  learned 
that  there  had  been  some  friction  among  them  we 
hoped  to  settle  matters  satisfactorily  by  visiting  them. 
It  finally  developed  that  the  trouble  arose  from  the 
fact  that  some  of  them  were  real  Christians  and 
some  were  not  and  they  could  not  walk  together 
because  they  were  not  agreed. 

On  July   5th.   1878,  our   third   son   was   born   and 
was  named  Clement  Eugene.     We  were  having  the 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  169 

most  torrid  spell  of  weather  we  have  had  in  forty 
years.  The  present  summer  (1911)  gives  promise  of 
approaching  it.  So  soon  as  I  could  leave  my  wife, 
the  hot  weather  continuing,  I  went  to  Fulton  county 
to  hold  a  grove-meeting.  The  location  of  the  meeting 
was  at  a  point  on  the  west  bluff  of  the  Illinois  river, 
southeast  of  Canton.  I  put  up  with  the  family  on 
whose  land  the  meeting  was  held.  The  house  had 
no  screens  and  the  flies  swarmed  by  day  and  the 
mosquitoes  by  night.  I  preached  on  Friday  night, 
three  times  on  Saturday  and  three  times  on  Sunday. 
I  got  but  little  rest  or  sleep  for  three  nights  on  account 
of  the  mosquitos.  I  had  a  strong  constitution,  but 
the  intense  heat,  the  labor  of  outdoor  preaching,  and 
the  loss  of  sleep  combined  were  almost  too  much  for 
my  endurance  and  I  suffered  with  symptoms  of  sun- 
stroke for  two  days  afterward,  and  did  not  entirely 
recover  from  the  effects  during  the  remainder  of  the 
summer. 

My  sister,  Martha  Ellen,  had  come  to  visit  us  in 
1875  and  concluded  to  remain  in  Illinois.  Not  long 
after  her  arrival  she  found  salvation.  In  June,  1876, 
she  was  united  in  marriage  with  Brother  Samuel  A. 
Poland,  of  Mason  county.  In  the  spring  of  1878  they 
removed  to  Sullivan  and  rented  a  farm  north  of  the 
city.  Here,  on  July  6th,  their  first  child,  a  son,  was 
born  to  them,  being  one  day  younger  than  our  latest 
child.  When  the  children  we-re  not  more  than  a 
month  old,  Brother  Poland  and  I  took  our  families 
to  attend  a  camp-meeting,  which  I  had  appointed 
near  the  village  of  Oskaloosa,  in  Clay  county,  Illinois. 
This  meeting  was  well  attended  but  did  not  have  the 
success  that  attended  the  one  held  in  the  same  county 


170  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

the  year  before.  Nothing  occurred  at  it  particularly 
worthy  of  note.  Immediately  on  our  return  home, 
I  began  to  get  ready  for  another  camp-meeting,  which 
I  had  appointed  to  be  held  near  Civer,  Fulton  county, 
a  few  miles  west  of  Canton.  Our  wives  were  not 
strong  and  Brother  Poland  and  I  provided  tubs  and 
washboards  and  did  a  large  washing  under  our  wives' 
supervision.  We  went  to  the  Civer  camp-meeting 
in  Brother  Poland's  wagon.  The  distance  was  nearly 
one  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  We  started  so  as  to 
reach  the  camp  grounds  on  Friday  evening,  as  the 
first  service  was  to  be  held  on  Friday  night.  We  had 
two  mishaps  on  the  way.  One  afternoon  ,  Lucius, 
who  was  nearly  two  years  old,  was  taken  with  a  spasm 
as  we  rode  along  in  the  heat,  though  the  wagon  had 
a  cover  on  it,  and  we  were  compelled  to  stop  and 
procure  hot  water  to  bathe  him.  This  soon  gave  him 
relief.  After  our  start  I  was  taken  with  the  ague. 
The  first  attack  was  light  and  soon  passed  off.  The 
next  day  I  felt  about  as  usual,  but  on  the  third  day. 
which  was  Friday,  when  we  were  not  many  miles 
from  the  camp  ground,  after  we  had  stopped  for 
dinner,  my  chill  came  on  and  it  was  as  severe  a 
one  as  I  ever  had  suffered.  I  lay  down  in  the  wagon 
and  shook  it  with  the  violence  of  my  chill.  Then 
the  fever  raged  all  the  afternoon.  I  could  travel  no 
further  that  day  and  we  had  to  pitch  our  tent  and 
lie  over  until  the  next  morning.  There  were  four 
preachers  on  the  ground,  Elders  Rynders,  Rusk,  Kerr 
and  myself.  Brethren  were  in  attendance  from  a  dis- 
tance and  the  audiences  were  large.  On  Sunday  I 
was  due  to  have  another  chill  and  I  tried  to  persuade 
the  other  preachers  that  one  of  them  should  preach 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.   m  171 

(I  had  always  been  accorded  the  hour  on  Sunday 
morning),  but  none  of  them  was  willing  to  take  the 
responsibility  and  I  was  forced  to  make  the  attempt. 
There  were  probably  a  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred 
hearers  present.  I  made  the  attempt  to  preach,  and 
got  along  very  well  until  about  two-thirds  through 
my  discourse,  when  I  felt  the  chill  attacking  me  and 
my  breath  began  to  shorten.  I  closed  as  promptly  as 
I  could  and  went  to  my  tent,  where  I  had  another 
severe  chill  followed  by  hot  fever.  A  physician  of 
the  neighborhood  came  to  me  and  insisted  on  giving 
me  quinine,  I  objected  to  taking  it  on  account  of  its 
effect  on  my  head.  He  said  if  I  did  not  take  it  I 
would  have  another  chill  on  Tuesday  as  certain  as 
Tuesday  came.  I  replied,  "  All  right,  I  will  not  take 
quinine  and  I  will  not  have  another  chill."  And  I 
did  not,  but  I  felt  unwell  during  the  whole  meeting. 

Up  to  the  fall  of  1878  we  had  lived  since  my 
second  marriage  in  a  part  of  Brother  Delana's  house 
in  the  south  part  of  the  city.  I  had  taken  a  little 
money  that  my  wife  had  inherited  from  her  maternal 
grandfather's  estate  and  had  built  an  addition  to 
Brother  Delana's  house,  he  agreeing  to  refund  the 
money  when  we  ceased  to  use  the  house,  but  my 
family  had  so  increased  that  we  needed  more  room 
and  we  removed  to  a  house  in  the  north  part  of  the 
city. 

I  think  it  was  during  the  winter  of  1878-79  that 
I  received  an  invitation  to  visit  Howard  county,  In- 
diana, and  hold  meetings.  A  family  named  Johnson 
had  removed  there  from  Clay  county,  Illinois,  where 
they  had  heard  me  preach.  The  point  to  which  I 
went  was  a  few  miles  northwest  of  the  city  of  Ko- 


172  >  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

komo,  in  a  section  of  country  quite  thickly  inhabited. 
The  meetings  were  held  in  a  deserted  Methodist 
meeting-house,  which  was  still  in  good  repair,  but  not 
often  used,  as  there  was  no  society  nor  regular  meet- 
ings, therein.  I  began  the  meetings  on  Friday  night 
and  held,  I  think,  two  services  each  day.  On  Sat- 
urday afternoon,  after  I  had  begun  speaking  a  gen- 
tleman came  in  and  took  his  seat  in  front  of  me, 
about  half  way  between  me  and  the  door.  Of  course 
he  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  me,  but  I  at  once  found 
myself  addressing  my  remarks  to  him  as  though  he 
constituted  the  whole  audience,  and  this  continued 
whenever  he  was  in  the  congregation.  On  Sunday 
morning  a  local  preacher  from  a  distance  had  an  ap- 
pointment to  speak  there,  but  it  was  thought  to  be 
doubtful  about  his  being  present.  I  told  the  people 
that  I  would  preach  if  he  did  not,  but  he  was  present 
and  preached  a  fine  sermon  from  the  text  "  We  are  a 
spectacle  to  men  and  angels,"  but  it  was  very  evident 
that  the  sermon  was  not  original,  which  spoiled  its 
effect.  He  had  invited  me  into  the  pulpit  with  him 
and,  as  I  had  expected,  he  invited  me  to  close  the 
meeting  after  him.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  read  and  sing  a  hymn.  As  I  saw  he  was  about 
to  close  his  discourse  I  picked  up  a  hymn-book  lying 
on  the  desk.  After  a  short  consideration  I  had  con- 
cluded to  read  Charles  Wesley's  hymn  beginning: 
"  Which  of  the  monarchs  of  the  earth  can  boast  a 
guard  like  ours,"  etc. 

I  had  supposed  the  hymn-book  to  be  the  Methodist 
collection  and  I  thought  I  could  soon  turn  to  this 
hymn,  but  I  found  it  to  be  one  with  which  I  was 
unacquainted,  and  I  did  not  know  whether  it  con- 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  173 

tained  the  hymn  in  question.  However,  as  the 
preacher  sat  down  I  opened  the  book  and,  strange 
to  relate,  I  opened  it  at  that  identical  hymn.  The 
congregation  had  been  listless  during  the  sermon,  but 
as  I  began  to  read  I  felt  the  power  of  God,  and  they 
began  to  take  notice.  We  sang  and  I  talked  half  an 
hour  with  such  liberty  and  power  as  I  have  seldom 
experienced.  I  was  invited  to  dinner  by  a  family 
in  the  neighborhood,  and  found  the  man  to  whom  I 
had  been  preaching  also  a  guest.  He  proved  to  be 
a  United  Brethren  preacher  by  the  name  of  Turflinger. 
He  remained  in  the  vicinity  a  day  or  two  longer  and 
then  left.  Before  going  we  exchanged  addresses  and 
he  declared  himself  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what 
he  had  heard,  and  expressed  an  intention  to  preach 
the  same  doctrines,  though  aware  that  they  were  un- 
popular. I  have  never  since  heard  from  him.  I  con- 
tinued the  meetings  after  his  departure,  but  though 
I  had  large  audiences  I  had  the  strange  and  unique 
experience  of  feeling  as  if  I  was  preaching  to  an 
empty  house.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  a  hearing 
ear  present.  As  I  could  feel  little  interest  in  such 
labors  I  closed  the  meetings  and  returned  home.  I 
seemed  to  have  been  sent  to  preach  the  gospel  to  but 
one  person. 

In  the  fall  of  1878  I  did  some  preaching  in  the 
city  of  Findlay,  Ohio.  Brother  Samuel  Furgeson, 
when  a  young  man,  had  lived  in  Findlay,  and  in 
company  with  his  brother,  had  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness of  manufacturing  carriages.  He  had  come  to 
Illinois  and  married  and  was  living  in  Sullivan  when 
I  first  preached  there,  and  received  the  gospel  I 
preached.  He  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  "  Church 


174  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

of  God."  He  had  returned  to  Findlay  and  through 
him  the  local  society  of  the  "  Church  of  God  "  heard 
of  me  and  invited  me  to  visit  them  and  assist  their 
pastor  in  revival  meetings.  This  proposal  did  not 
commend  itself  to  me,  as  I  doubted  my  ability  to 
work  in  harmony  with  them,  but  I  did  not  feel  at 
liberty  to  refuse  the  invitation.  Their  pastor  was  a 
younger  man  than  I  and  quite  enthusiastic.  We  were 
to  preach  on  alternate  nights,  but  I  stipulated  in  the 
start  that  I  was  not  to  be  expected  to  take  part  in 
the  "  altar  exercises,"  as  I  had  repudiated  them  as 
being  injurious.  The  older  members  of  the  society 
received  my  preachings  very  well,  but  the  young  people 
were  not  pleased  with  it.  I  soon  found  what  I  ex- 
pected, that  my  preaching  spread  a  wet  blanket  over 
their  enthusiasm.  It  had  the  same  effect  as  that 
of  the  colored  preacher  who  inveighed  against  chicken 
stealing.  "  It  frew  a  coldness  ober  the  meetin'."  How- 
ever, they  bore  with  me  with  great  patience;  they 
could  not  deny  that  I  told  them  the  truth.  At  length 
one  night  after  I  had  preached,  and  "  mourners " 
were  called  for,  there  came  to  the  "  altar  "  a  strange 
lot  of  mourners.  They  seemed  to  have  put  on  all  the 
available  jewelry  and  feathers,  etc.,  and  they  not  only 
looked,  but  behaved  unusually  for  sinsick  persons.  It 
was  evidently  a  conspiracy  to  burlesque  me,  and  I  re- 
solved to  meet  it.  At  the  close  of  the  exercises 
I  asked  for  an  opportunity  to  speak.  I  asked  the 
congregation  not  to  think  that  I  was  promoting  that 
kind  of  work.  I  told  them  that  the  road  to  hell 
was  crowded  with  that  sort  of  Christians,  and  that 
my  preaching  had  no  tendency  to  increase  the  number, 
and  that  I  claimed  no  share  in  such  success.  In  a 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  .      175 

short  time  I  returned  home.  I  learned  afterward 
that  they  had  quite  a  successful  revival  after  I  left. 
Their  pastor  said  he  did  not  want  to  give  sinners 
too  much  truth  on  the  start,  but  would  make  up  for 
the  lack  afterwards.  My  plan  has  been  to  crowd 
just  as  much  truth  as  possible  between  a  sinner  and 
Christ;  if  he  will  not  receive  it  on  the  start  so  far 
as  he  can  understand  it,  he  never  will.  If  a  soul  is 
going  to  balk  at  the  truth  he  would  better  do  so  at 
the  start.  The  United  States  government  has  been 
accused  of  deception  in  that  it  conceals  from  recruits 
for  the  army  the  most  disagreeable  features,  and  the 
hardships  of  a  soldier's  life.  The  Lord  JesUs  Christ 
does  not  use  any  false  pretense  in  seeking  recruits 
for  His  army.  He  desires  that  every  man  shall  know 
the  worst  so  far  as  he  can  know  it  before  he  enlists, 
so  that  he  may  afterward  have  no  excuse  for  desertion. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

CAMP-MEETINGS    AND    OTHER    MEETINGS. 
(CONTINUED.) 

In  December,  1878,  I  made  a  trip  to  Iowa  for  gospel 
work.  I  first  visited  Bangor,  in  Marshall  county,  and 
held  a  series  of  meetings.  Some  of  the  brethren  in 
this  place  had  attended  some  of  the  camp-meetings 
in  Illinois.  Bangor  was  a  "  Quaker  "  settlement  and 
the  "  Friends  "  had  a  chapel  here.  Most  of  the  anti- 
sect  people  here  had  formerly  been  Quakers.  I 
preached  in  the  school  house  to  rather  small  audiences 
and  without  any  visible  success.  I  attended  a  Quaker 
meeting  on  Sunday  morning,  the  only  one  I  have  ever 
been  in.  I  think  but  one  of  the  members  of  the  con- 
gregation spoke  during  the  interview.  After  sitting 
silent  for  quite  a  time  I  felt  moved  to  make  some 
remarks  on  the  following  passage :  "  They  that  wait 
upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength,  they  shall 
mount  up  upon  wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run  and 
not  be  weary ;  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint."  I  stated 
first  that  sitting  silent  in  the  meeting  was  not  neces- 
sarily "  waiting  upon  the  Lord."  That  we  could 
know  whether  or  not  we  were  waiting  upon  the  Lord 
by  the  results.  If  we  waited  upon  the  Lord  we  should 
renew  our  strength.  We  should  discern  whether  or 
not  we  renewed  our  strength  by  the  signs  mentioned. 
At  the  very  least  "  We  should  walk  and  not  faint." 
If  we  could  not  walk  in  God's  commandments  without 

176 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  177 

fainting,  our  strength  had  not  been  renewed  and  we 
had  not  waited  upon  the  Lord.  But  we  might  have 
our  strength  renewed  so  far  as  to  "  run  and  not 
be  weary"  and  even  to-mount  up  on  wings  as  eagles 
and  thus  fly  toward  heaven,  etc.  No  one  made  any 
further  remarks  and  the  meeting  closed. 

The  winter  of  1878-79  was  a  very  cold  one,  and  I 
was  dressed  hardly  warm  enough  for  that  latitude. 
When  I  was  ready  to  leave  Bangor  Brother  Fred- 
erick Albright  took  me  to  the  station  at  State  Center. 
We  started  before  sunrise  in  a  sled  with  the  mercury 
20  degrees  below  zero.  I  did  not  get  out  of  the 
sled  during  the  whole  distance  and  did  not  suffer 
severely,  but  when  I  got  to  the  fire  I  shook  for  an 
hour  as  with  ague.  I  resolved  then  never  to  so 
expose  myself  again.  I  found  the  weather  no  milder 
in  Crawford  county  and  when  the  wind  was  high 
I  could  not  endure  facing  it.  I  held  some  meetings 
in  this  county  and  visited  with  the  brethren.  On 
my  return  home  I  met  my  wife  and  children  in 
Decatur,  Illinois',  where  she  was  visiting  friends.  On 
our  arriving  at  home  we  found  the  walls  and  ceiling 
of  our  sitting-room  covered  with  frost  crystals  owing 
to  the  intense  cold,  and  all  the  vegetables  in  the  house 
were  frozen  solid  though  my  wife  thought  she  had 
them  well  protected.  But  the  frame  houses  of  those 
days  in  this  section  of  the  country  were  built  often 
without  other  foundation  than  a  few  blocks,  and  with- 
out what  is  called  underpinning.  This  gave  the  winds 
free  course  under  the  floors;  and  the  walls  con- 
sisted only  of  weather  boarding  on  the  outside  and 
lath  and  two  coats  of  plastering  on  the  inside  with  no 
lining  inside  or  outside.  They  build  differently  now. 


178  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

The  years  from  1873  to  1879  up  to  the  resumption 
of  specie  payment  by  the  government  were  very  hard 
on  the  wage-earners  and  those  who  were  in  debt. 
Many  of  the  farmers  were  'in  debt  on  their  farms 
and  were  hard  pressed  to  pay  interest.  The  currency 
was  appreciating  and  consequently  other  things  were 
depreciating  in  value.  Land  was  cheap  and  had  little 
demand,  produce  was  also  low  in  value.  It  would 
seem  that  in  such  time  of  financial  stress  the  man 
who  preached  a  free  gospel  and  asked  no  man  for 
a  dollar,  and  who  was  without  private  means  and 
had  no  visible  means  of  support  would  starve,  or  at 
least  become  perfectly  destitute.  But  though  we  were 
quite  poor  and  our  family  increased  in  number  from 
three  to  six  we  never  were  in  actual  want  and  never 
suffered  from  hunger  or  cold.  Neither  did  we  be- 
come ragged  nor  by  an  appearance  of  destitution 
appeal  to  the  sympathies  of  others.  The  Lord  did 
not  permit  us  to  discredit  His  gospel  by  such  a  show 
of  poverty.  He  graciously  provided  for  all  our  actual 
needs.  But  our  faith  was  often  sorely  tried  and  we 
were  forced  to  use  the  utmost  economy  and  frugality. 
My  wife  became  expert  at  making  new  clothes  for 
the  boys  out  of  my  old  ones,  and  we  were  able 
always  to  appear  decently  dressed  or  even  well  dressed 
in  public.  In  my  leisure  times  I  cultivated  a  truck 
patch  and  garden,  and  often  assisted  brethren  or 
friends  in  their  labors  at  carpentering,  hay-making 
or  anything  else  that  I  could  do.  I  never  was  ashamed 
of  honest  toil  though  I  never  professed  great  liking 
for  manual  labor,  as  my  tastes  ran  in  other  directions. 
But  whatever  I  have  done,  whether  in  physical  toil 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  179 

or  in  intellectual  pursuits  I  have  always  done  with 
my  might.  We  lived  on  an  income  of  about  four 
hundred  dollars  a  year  when  beefsteak  was  10  to 
121/2  cents  a  pound  and  but  eight  or  nine  pounds  of 
sugar  were  given  for  a  dollar.  Clothing  was  also 
costly.  In  the  spring  of  1878  I  had  a  present  of  a 
cow  and  ever  since  that  time  we  have  owned  at 
least  one  cow.  This  cow,  with  a  little  cheap  house- 
hold furniture  and  a  few  chickens,  constituted  all 
my  worldly  wealth.  The  assessor  and  the  tax  col- 
lector passed  me  by  as  not  worthy  of  notice.  As 
I  had  no  assured  income,  I  made  no  debts  but  paid 
ready  money  for  everything.  I  took  it  as  an  axiom 
that  if  the  Lord  was  to  furnish  me  with  all  I  needed, 
He  would  furnish  it  when  I  needed  it.  My  children 
were  strong  and  healthy  and  I  have  yet  to  call  a 
physician  to  one  of  them.  I  have,  however,  called 
a  surgeon. 

In  the  spring  of  1879  Brother  Lark  Delana  died. 
When  I  met  him  in  the  winter  of  1868-69  he  was  a 
Methodist  local  preacher,  travelling  a  circuit  as  a 
"  supply."  He  fell  in  with  the  gospel  I  preached 
and  was  active  in  the  propagation  of  the  truth,  though 
he  did  not  labor  as  a  preacher.  For  nearly  ten 
years  he  was  with  me  in  the  meetings  and  was  never 
so  busy  that  he  could  not  leave  his  work,  hitch  up 
his  team  and  go  to  assist  in  a  meeting.  His  zeal  was 
unquestionable.  He  was  a  very  ignorant  man  and 
had  the  assurance  about  things  that  usually  goes  with 
ignorance.  He  had  had  a  good  deal  of  experience 
in  the  world,  having  been  a  California  gold  seeker 
and  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War.  His  labors  in  the 
meetings  were  not  generally  well  received  as  his 


180  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

manner  of  address  was  irritating.  He  also  got  the 
idea  that  he  had  some  sort  of  oversight  over  things 
in  the  church,  which  tended  to  hinder  liberty  in  the 
meetings,  but  his  intentions  were  no  doubt  good,  and, 
though  I  found  his  labors  something  of  a  handicap 
in  the  meetings,  .yet  I  trust  he  was  a  good  man  and 
has  gone  to  his  heavenly  reward. 

This  was  the  first  year  for  nine  years  that  I  had 
held  no  camp-meeting;  but  in  August  Brother  Jasper 
Shaw,  of  Fulton  county,  went  with  me  to  Schuyler 
county,  Missouri,  to  the  neighborhood  in  which  his 
father   lived,    for  the   purpose   of   holding  a   grove- 
meeting.    This  meeting  differed  from  a  camp-meeting 
in  that  no  one  camped  on  the  ground,  and  that  it 
was  attended  only  by   people  of   the   neighborhood. 
This  was  the  most  successful  grove-meeting  I  have 
ever  held,  and  was  largely  attended.      It  began  on 
Friday  night  and  continued  over  the  second  Sunday. 
Hundreds  of  people  were  in  attendance  and  especially 
on    Sunday   were   the   audiences   large.      I   preached 
three  times   each   day   with   unusual   liberty.     There 
was  a   southern   Methodist   society   which   met   in   a 
school  house  nearby,  and  on  the  second  Sunday  their 
pastor  held  an  opposition  meeting  to  keep  his  people 
away  from  the  grove-meeting,  but  his  effort  was  a 
flat  failure,  and  his  evident  hostility  reacted  against 
him  and  his  cause,  and  the  upshot  was  the  disintegra- 
tion of  his  society.     Quite  a  number  were  convinced 
of  the  truth  I  preached  and  a  little  society  was  formed 
which  met  regularly  for  years.     Some  of  them  were 
really  saved  from  sin  and  lived  holy  and  exemplary 
lives  but  the  leaders  are  now  dead  and  the  society 
is    scattered.      Brother    Peter    Swanson,    the    leader 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  181 

among  them  died  but  a  few  months  ago  (in  1910)  at 
quite  an  advanced,  age.  The  influence  of  the  work 
will  not  soon  die.  I  visited  this  point  again  in  the 
following  winter  and  held  meetings  in  the  Swanson 
school  house. 

In  the  winter  of  1879-80  I  was  again  called  to 
Ohio  to  hold  meetings.  I  first  went  to  Upper  San- 
dusky  to  hold  meetings  in  Brother  Keller's  "  bethel." 
He  had  removed  from  his.  farm  and  now  lived  in 
the  city.  The  meetings  continued  for  a  week  or  more 
but  did  not  seen  to  make  much  impression  upon  the 
people.  I  went  to  Findlay  and  held  meetings  in  the 
county  court  house.  I  was  annoyed  each  night  by  a 
friend  who  had  more  zeal  than  knowledge  or  dis- 
cretion. I  taught  that  the  Lord  could  save  a  sinner 
with  one  effort.  He  believed  that  it  would  require 
two  efforts  on  the  part  of  Deity  and  he  thought  it 
his  bounden  duty  to  set  me  right.  But  if  his  reasoning 
had  been  as  logical  as  that  of  St.  Paul  he  would  have 
convinced  no  one,  since  he  would  soon  become 
so  excited  that  his  speech  would  become  tangled 
up  so  that  no  one  could  understand  what  he 
said.  After  enduring  his  nonsense  for  a  few  nights 
I  was  forced  to  abridge  his  liberty  of  speech,  as  the 
county  officers  had  stipulated  when  they  gave  their 
consent  for  the  use  of  the  house  that  there  .should 
be  no  undue  noise  nor  confusion  in  the  meetings. 
These  services  continued  for  several  days  until  they 
were  brought  to  a  close  by  an  accident.  In  walking 
across  a  yard  from  one  house  to  another  on  Saturday 
evening  after  dark,  I  stepped  into  a  hole  and  was 
thrown  headlong,  striking  the  bridge  of  my  nose  on  a 
lead  trough  at  the  corner  of  one  of  the  houses,  with 


182  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

such  force  as  to  fracture  the  bone.  Of  course  my 
face  was  soon  so  swollen  as  to  make  me  unpresent- 
able, while  the  congestion  in  my  nose  made  enuncia- 
tion difficult,  so  all  further  appointments  were  can- 
celled. I  had  to  remain  in  the  city  until  Monday,  as 
there  were  no  Sunday  trains.  By  that  time  the 
swelling  was  gone,  but  I  had  acquired  a  pair  of 
black  eyes  in  addition  to  a  pair  of  blue  ones.  How- 
ever, I  put  on  a  pair  of  colored  spectacles,  pulled 
a  soft  hat  low  over  my  face,  and  reached  home  with- 
out attracting  attention  or  comment.  Of  course  ex- 
planations were  due  to  my  friends  at  home,  but  a 
reputation  for  sobriety  is  sometimes  of  much  value 
in  averting  suspicion. 

I  think  of  nothing  of  interest  that  occurred  during 
the  spring  and  early  summer  of  1880. 

In  August  of  this  year  we  held  a  camp-meeting 
in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  near  the  village  of  Franklin. 
This  meeting  was  quite  largely  attended.  Elders  Ryn- 
ders,  Rusk,  Kerr  and  myself  were  in  attendance  and 
another  minister  named  Templeton,  who  had  recently 
withdrawn  from  the  Free  Methodists.  He  was  a 
Scotchman  of  good  family,  of  more  than  ordinary 
intellectual  abilities,  having  had  a  fine  education,  and 
was  a  good  preacher.  However,  he  was  unfortun- 
ately erratic,  and  at  times  afflicted  with  mental  ab- 
berration.  At  such  times  he  was  abusive  and  cruel  to 
his  wife,  a  meek  little  woman,  who  would  not  resist 
him,  but  she  felt  forced  to  expose  his  conduct.  This 
created  strong  prejudice  against  him,  and  conduct, 
which  to  me  seemed  un-Christian  on  the  part  of  some, 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  183 

especially  some  of  the  preachers.  It  seemed  that  they 
could  not  understand  that  the  man  was  irresponsible 
when  demented.  Their  conduct  may  have  been  the 
result  of  their  horror  at  unkindness  to  a  wife,  but 
it  had  some  of  the  earmarks  of  jealousy.  The  man 
afterward  died  in  an  insane  asylum. 

During  this  same  summer,  and,  I  think,  subsequently 
to  the  camp-meeting,  I  held  another  grove-meeting  in 
Schuyler  county,  Missouri,  on  the  same  ground  as  on 
the  preceding  year.  This  meeting  was  also  largely 
attended  and  was  quite  successful.  One  of  the  ob- 
jections made  by  sectists  to  the  meetings  was  that  old 
sinners  who  never  attended  any  other  meetings 
regularly  attended  mine.  But  I  remembered  that  many 
gladly  heard  Christ  who  had  no  use  for  the  Pharisees. 
Brother  Peter  Swanson's  wife  had  died  recently  and 
left  a  little  child,  which  died  during  my  visit,  and  I 
was  asked  to  hold  short  services  in  the  cemetery, 
during  which  I  offered  public  prayer.  This  was  the 
first  time  the  people  had  heard  me  pray,  as  I  seldom 
pray  publicly  at  a  preaching  service.  I  noticed  nothing 
extraordinary  in  this  prayer,  but  those  who  heard 
it  seemed  much  impressed  by  it.  I  visited  a  sick  man 
in  the  afternoon  and  some  of  the  people  followed 
me  to  his  house,  hoping  to  hear  me  pray  again.  I 
have  learned  of  a  number  of  instances  in  which  persons 
have  been  thus  powerfully  impressed  by  my  prayers. 
One  man  declared  that  he  had  never  before  heard  a 
prayer.  I  will  give  another  instance.  One  of  my 
neighbors  in  Sullivan  had  for  some  reason  conceived 
a  violent  dislike  for  me.  He  had  a  death  in  his 
family  and  I  felt  much  impressed  to  attend  the  funeral 
though  I  suspected  that  the  man  would  not  be  pleased 


184  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

to  have  me  do  so.  The  funeral  services  were  at  his 
residence  and  were  conducted  by  the  local  Methodist 
pastor,  as  the  man  was  a  Methodist.  Though  doubting 
my  welcome  I  felt  inwardly  urged  to  go,  and  went. 
I  got  into  a  back  room,  making  myself  as  inconspic- 
uous as  possible,  hoping  to  escape  notice.  But  the 
officiating  minister  recognized  me  and  came  to  me 
with  an  invitation  to  offer  a  prayer.  I  feared  that 
my  taking  part  in  the  services  would  displease  the 
family;  but  he  assured  me  that  it  would  be  all  right, 
so  I  consented  and  offered  prayer.  On  the  following 
Sunday  this  minister  spoke  of  me  to  his  congregation, 
declaring  that  he  believed  me  a  good  man,  as  he  had 
heard  me  pray,  and  had  never  before  heard  such  a 
prayer.  Also  the  man  who  had  been  my  enemy  was 
ever  afterward  a  friend.  I  speak  of  these  things  be- 
cause I  have  been  condemned  in  some  quarters  for 
my  teaching  and  practice  with  respect  to  prayer.  I 
would  rather  offer  one  prayer  that  the  hearers  could 
recognize  as  taking  hold  on  God  than  ten  thousand 
that  are  mere  lip  service.  My  severest  critics  are 
much  given  to  public  prayer,  even  as  were  the  Phari- 
sees, but  I  have  never  heard  of  their  prayers  im- 
pressing any  one  as  being  out  of  the  ordinary. 

On  September  17th  of  this  year  our  hearts  were 
gladdened  by  the  birth  of  a  daughter,  our  first.  We 
named  her  Nannie  Persis.  The  name  Nannie  was 
in  memory  of  my  first  wife.  My  wife  did  not  re- 
cover from  her  confinement  as  promptly  as  usual, 
but  was  troubled  with  a  cough  which  some  thought 
indicated  pulmonary  affection.  When  she  felt  able 
to  travel,  about  November  1st,  we  went  on  a  visit 
to  Winchester,  Illinois.  My  wife's  brother,  Russell 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  185 

M.  Magill,  having  married  some  time  previously,  we 
put  up  with  him  for  a  week  or  two.  My  wife's  health 
began  to  improve  at  once  and  she  was  soon  in  her 
usual  health.  While  she  and  the  children  stayed  with 
her  brother  I  went  over  into  Morgan  county,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  late  camp-ground  and  held  a  series  of 
meetings  in  a  school  house.  The  winter  came  on 
early  that  year  and  before  my  return  to  Winchester 
there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  and  zero  weather. 
After  a  visit  of  about  a  month  we  returned  home. 

I  travelled  and  held  meetings  during  the  remainder 
of  the  winter  and  during  the  spring  of  1881,  but  I 
remember  nothing  worthy  of  record.  My  stepmother 
visited  us  in  the  summer  of  this  year  and  spent  several 
weeks  with  us  and  her  daughter.  In  August  we  held 
a  camp-meeting  in  Knox  county,  Illinois,  at  a  place 
called  Hazel  Dell,  several  miles  southeast  of  Knox- 
ville.  Before  this  camp-meeting  I  went  to  Fulton 
county,  taking  my  family  with  me,  and  held  a  grove- 
meeting  near  Lewistown,  the  county  seat,  on  the  farm 
of  a  man  by  the  name^of  Boardner.  He  was  a  very 
old  man,  nearly  one  hundred  years  old,  but,  I  think, 
died  before  he  reached  the  century  mark.  His  wife, 
however,  lived  to  be  considerably  over  one  hundred 
years  old.  They  were  Brother  Jasper  Shaw's  grand- 
parents. We  put  up  during  the  meetings  with  Moses 
Boardner,  a  son  of  the  gentleman's,  where  we  were 
very  hospitably  treated.  This  meeting  was  well  at- 
tended and  considerable  interest  was  manifested.  At 
the  close  of  the  grove-meeting  we  drove  through  in 
a  wagon  to  the  vicinity  of  the  camp-meeting,  stopping 
with  Brother  Henry  Thurman  until  the  camp-meeting 
was  ready.  This  meeting  was  quite  successful  and 


186  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

was  well  attended  by  the  brethren  and  by  the  people 
of  the  neighborhood.  There  was  a  man  from  Indiana, 
claiming  to  be  a  brother,  who  was  a  stranger  to  us. 
He  also  claimed  to  be  a  preacher.  His  name  was 
Ansel  Raper.  He  has  since  become  somewhat  notor- 
ious as  a  travelling  evangelist  under  the  name  of 
Reaper.  He  has  been  accused  of  false  teachings  and 
immoralities  and  I  fear  that  the  charge  may  not  be 
without  foundation.  Brother  Solomon  Miller,  of 
Bangor,  Iowa,  became  offended  at  this  meeting  and 
withdrew.  He  thought  we  had  too  much  liberty  and 
were  not  solemn  enough.  He  seemed  to  feel  that  it 
was  a  sin  to  laugh,  or  to  appreciate  anything  humorous. 
I  believe  him  to  have  been  an  honest  man,  serving 
God  in  the  spirit  of  the  elder  brother  in  the  parable 
of  the  Prodigal  Son,  but  he  could  not  tolerate  the 
sound  of  feasting  when  the  fatted  calf  was  eaten,  so 
he  chose  to  stay  outside.  It  is  difficult  for  unspiritual 
men  to  distinguish  between  sinful  liberty  and  Chris- 
tian liberty,  and  to  avoid  the  one  they  miss  the  other 
and  become  slaves  to  fear.  M/y  wife  suffered  severely 
at  this  meeting  from  an  abscess  on  her  face,  which  was 
about  at  its  worst  when  the  meeting  closed. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
I  BECOME  A  FARMER. 

In  the  spring  of  1882  Sister  Shearer  died  in  Win- 
chester and  I  was  sent  for  to  conduct  the  funeral 
services.  She  had  not  enjoyed  good  health  for  many 
years,  having  had  pulmonary  trouble  of  that  slow 
nature  in  which  the  lungs  gradually  waste  away.  But 
in  May  of  this  year  she  was  seized  with  pneumonia, 
and,  having  had  but  one  lung  left,  she  soon  succumbed 
to  that  fatal  disease.  Several  years  before  her  death 
she  and  her  husband  had  taken  into  their  home  a 
young  woman  by  the  name  of  Clara  Lancaster  and 
she  kept  house  for  Brother  Shearer  after  his  wife's 
death.  Brother  Shearer's  health  was  also  quite  poor, 
though  up  to  the  time  of  his  wife's  death,  or  not  long 
before  that  event,  he  had  continued  to  work  at  his 
trade  of  harness  making.  The  year  before  they  had 
gone  to  Texas  for  the  benefit  of  his  health  but  with 
little  avail.  In  August  of  1882  he  sent  for  my  wife 
and  myself  to  come  and  take  care  of  him,  as  he  was 
bedfast  and  expecting  to  die  soon.  He  had  become 
suspicious  of  his  housekeeper  and  alarmed  at  her 
conduct  when  he  learned  that  she  was  carrying  off 
some  of  the  household  effects.  We  shut  up  our 
house  and  went  to  him  at  once,  and  remained  with 
him  until  his  death,  which  occurred  before  the  month 
was  out.  He  and  Sister  Shearer  were  good  people. 

187 


188  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

They  had  opened  their  house  for  the  meetings  of 
the  brethren  in  that  vicinity,  which  were  held  each 
week,  for  years.  Brother  Shearer  left  his  property 
by  will  to  my  oldest  son,  Paul.  It  was  but  a  few 
hundred  dollars.  During  the  fall  of  this  year  I  visited 
my  old  home  in  Ohio.  My  father  and  stepmother 
were  still  living,  though  neither  of  them  was  in  good 
health.  I  remained  with  them  several  weeks  and  mean- 
'  while  preached  when  I  had  opportunity.  When  the 
time  came  for  me  to  return  home,  my  father  took 
me  to  the  railroad  station  in  Warren,  gave  me  a  five 
dollar  gold  piece  and  went  up  town  until  the  train 
left.  He  could  not  trust  himself  to  bid  me  good-bye. 
I  never  saw  him  again.  In  less  than  three  years  after 
that  he  died  of  valvular  disease  of  .the  heart,  ac- 
companied by  heart  enlargement.  My  stepmother 
had  preceded  him  to  the  spirit  world.  My  father 
was  that  rara  avis  an  honest  man.  I  do  not  think 
he  ever  intentionally  wronged  any  man  out  of  a  cent. 
Though  he  did  not  leave  property  enough  behind  him 
to  pay  all  his  debts,  his  children  saw  that  they  were 
paid.  He  was  justice  of  the  peace  for  twenty-five 
years,  and  was  often  appointed  by  the  court  as  ad- 
ministrator and  conservator,  and  though  possessing 
little  of  this  world's  goods '  he  could  give  bond  for 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  so  great  was  the  confidence 
in  his  honesty.  He  was  honest  in  other  senses  as 
well  as  in  money  matters.  As  a  magistrate  he  was  a 
peace  maker,  and  would  forego  his  costs  at  any  time 
to  settle  a  dispute.  He  spent  much  time  and  labor  in 
persuading  litigants  to  settle  their  differences  without 
going  to  law  and  he  much  disliked  to  sit  as  justice 
on  a  case.  He  said  in  each  instance  he  would  make 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  189 

one  doubtful  friend  and  one  sure  enemy.  His  funeral 
was  the  most  largely  attended  of  any  ever  held  in 
the  township  in  which  he  had  lived  so  long,  and  in 
which  he  died. 

The  property  left  by  Brother  Shearer  consisted  of 
a  house  and  two  lots  and  as  the  only  way  to  get 
any  income  from  it  was  to  rent  it  out,  it  was  con- 
stantly exposed  to  loss  by  fire.  Besides,  the  class  of 
tenants  who  would  occupy  a  house  of  its  character 
was  not  reliable,  and  as  I  did  not  patronize  insurance 
companies,  and  as  I  was  not  at  liberty  to  go  to  law 
to  collect  rents  nor  to  eject  tenants  who  refused  to 
pay,  the  property  did  not  promise  to  prove  remun- 
erative. So  I  thought  it  best,  if  I  could  do  so",  to  sell 
it  and  invest  in  land  at  Sullivan.  The  land  would 
not  burn  and  we  could  cultivate  it  ourselves.  Besides, 
the  land  would  increase  in  value,  while  the  house 
would  deteriorate.  Brother  John  Poland  had  come 
to  Sullivan  from  Mason  county  and  desired  to  buy 
some  land.  There  were  forty  acres  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  city  to  be  had  for  two  thousand  dollars. 
He  could  pay  for  but  half  of  it, '  and  I  agreed  to 
take  the  other  twenty  acres,  he  to  pay  ten  hundred 
and  fifty  for  his  half  nearest  town,  and  I  the  balance 
out  of  what  I  should  get  for  the  Winchester  property. 
But  the  judge  of  probate  in  Scott  county  spoiled  my 
plan,  for  when  I  made  application  through  the  ad- 
ministrator for  leave  to  sell  to  pay  debts  of  which 
there  were  a  few,  he  refused  permission.  As  it  would 
be  costly  to  take  the  matter  up  to  the  chancery  court 
I  gave  it  up,  and  as  I  could  not  repudiate  my  agreement 
with  Brother  Poland  without  injuring  him,  I  kept 
the  land  myself,  being  able  to  raise  most  of  the  money 


190  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

on  a  mortgage.  The  probate  judge  is  supposed  to 
look  after  the  interest  of  his  wards,  but  Judge  Callan, 
though  he  may  have  meant  well,  made  a  great  mistake. 
The  Winchester  property  declined  in  value  by  the 
time  Paul  became  of  age,  while  the  land  it  would 
have  then  purchased  is  worth  fifteen  times  as  much 
as  it  was  then.  By  the  year  1883  my  two  older  sons 
had  become  old  enough  to  do  something  toward 
earning  their  living  when  out  of  school.  I  needed 
their  small  help  and  they  needed  employment  to  keep 
them  out  of  idleness.  I  thought  the  matter  over  care- 
fully and  prayerfully.  There  were  two  courses  open 
to  me,  either  to  hire  the  boys  out  or  to  furnish  work 
myself.  My  principal  objection  to  hiring  them  out 
was  the  influence  it  might  have  upon  them.  There 
were  two  dangers  in  this  course,  first  the  unfavorable 
influence  the  bad  example  of  others  might  exert,  and 
secondly,  the  weakening  of  home  influence  which 
would  inevitably  result  from  their  absence  from  home. 
I  had  seen  the  evil  results  of  this  in  brethren's  children 
who  were  older  than  mine.  When  this  home  and 
personal  influence  is  once  lost  it  can  never  be  re- 
gained. It  would  be  much  the  easier  way  to  hire 
them  out  and  collect  their  earnings ;  it  would  save 
me  much  trouble.  Besides,  preaching  the  gospel  was 
my  vocation  from  which  I  did  not  wish  to  be  diverted ; 
I  wanted  no  avocation.  Then  again  I  had  no  means 
to  go  into  any  business  with.  Farming  seemed  the 
only  business  open  to  me  and  that  would  require  a 
team  and  implements  for  which  I  would  be  com- 
pelled to  go  into  debt.  But  the  spiritual  influence 
of  my  children  was  paramount,  and  could  not  be 
jeopardized  under  any  consideration.  And  let  me 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  191 

say  here  that  the  result  has  fully  justified  and  vin- 
dicated the  wisdom  of  my  decision.  So  I  became 
a  farmer.  The  first  year,  1883,  I  farmed  only  the 
twenty  acres  that  I  had  bought.  I  bought  no  team 
nor  farming  utensils  but  hired  the  breaking  done  and 
did  the  cultivating  with  a  horse  and  double  shovel 
plough.  We  also  did  a  good  deal  of  hoeing.  The 
land  had  been  rented  out  and  had  been  ploughed  in 
narrow  lands  thrown  up  toward  the  center,  cultivated 
when  wet  and  otherwise  butchered  up.  The  whole 
surface  was  covered  with  cockle  burs,  so  we  had  our 
work  cut  out  for  us.  I  raised  a  fair  crop  this  first 
year,  but  did  not  prove  much  of  a  success  as  a 
farmer  on  the  whole.  In  the  first  place,  I  had  had 
no  experience.  I  had  worked  on  a  farm  in  my  boy- 
hood, but  farming  in  Ohio  in  the  fifties  and  in  Illinois 
in  the  eighties  were  two  different  propositions.  I 
felt  my  ignorance  and  sought  advice,  but  my  advisers 
really  knew  little  more  about  farming  than  I  did.  It 
takes  long  experience  to  learn  how  to  farm  success- 
fully, and  those  most  competent  are  the  least  ready 
to  give  advice.  They  know  the  uncertainties  and  the 
contingencies  to  be  reckoned  with.  Then  the  land 
I  could  rent  had  generally  been  run  in  corn  until  it 
needed  rest,  and  it  usually  had  become  infested  with 
weeds,  especially  cockle-burs.  The  prevalence  of  this 
weed  was  attested  by  the  condition  of  the  tails  of 
the  farmers'  horses  at  husking  time,  they  were  usually 
matted  with  cockle-burs.  Some  farmers  tied  sacks 
on  the  horses'  tails  to  prevent  this.  I  have  gone  over 
the  field  twice  in  one  season  with  a  hoe  and  cut  these 
weeds  out  and  then  at  gathering  time  they  would  be 
so  large  that  I  could  scarcely  get  along  to  husk  the 


192  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

corn.  Now,  after  thirty  years,  you  scarcely  ever  see 
a  bur  in  a  horse's  tail,  though  some  careless,  slovenly 
farmers  still  raise  them.  I  learned  quite  a  good  deal 
about  farming  in  the  ten  or  twelve  years  that  I 
engaged  in  it,  but  I  learned  it  mostly  in  that  expensive 
school  taught  by  Experience.  In  1884  I  farmed  some 
rented  land  in  addition  to  my  own,  with  moderate 
success.  Brother  Miles  Smith,  of  Downing,  Missouri, 
had  sent  me  an  old  mare  as  a  gift,  and  I  bought  a 
young  horse  that  spring  and  some  farming  utensils. 
During  the  winter  I  had  held  meetings  in  Missouri 
and  at  various  other  points,  but  I  cannot  recall  them 
distinctly.  One  meeting,  I  think,  was  in  Green  county, 
Illinois,  near  Carrollton.  I  generally  spent  much  of 
the  winter  in  evangelistic  work.  I  had  not  to  permit 
my  avocation  of  farming  to  interfere  with  my  vocation 
of  preaching.  Usually  during  the  spring  and  early 
summer,  when  the  days  are  long  and  the  nights  short, 
there  was  not  so  much  call  for  meetings  except  over 
Sunday.  The  people  were  so  busy  with  their  work, 
especially  the  farmers.  This  gave  me  opportunity  to 
plant  and  tend  rny  crop.  In  August,  1884,  I  held  the 
last  of  a  series  of  seventeen  camp-meetings  in  central 
Illinois.  There  had  been  none  since  1881.  There 
seemed  to  be  less  and  less  opening  for  such  meetings. 
As  people  became  more  prosperous  in  worldly  affairs 
the  interest  in  religion  gradually  lessened.  Spiritual  in- 
difference began  to  settle  down  upon  them.  From 
1860  to  1880  there  was  a  great  religious  awakening 
all  over  the  country.  This  took  the  form  of  a  cam- 
paign of  Holiness  or  a  Higher  Life.  The  people  were 
aroused  and  there  were  many  hearing  ears.  Since 
the  latter  date  this  interest  has  rapidly  waned,  and 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  193 

so  low  has  become  the  spiritual  condition  that  the 
principal  demand  seems  now  to  be  for  the  ministra- 
tions of  such  religious  montebanks  as  "  Billy  "  Sunday 
and  others  of  that  ilk.  The  great  majority  have  de- 
cidedly "  turned  away  their  ears  from  the  truth." 

The  camp-meeting  of  1884  was  held  in  Green  county, 
Illinois,  near  a  little  station  on  the  Chicago  &  Alton 
Railroad,  called  Berdan.  The  site  was  located  on 
the  farm  of  Brother  Robert  Meek.  A  number  of  the 
brethren  tented  on  the  ground,  and  the  meeting  was 
quite  well  attended.  Elder  Rynders  was  present  to 
assist  in  the  preaching.  There  was  also  another 
preacher,  a  stranger,  who  came  to  the  meeting,  whose 
name  was  Sexton.  He  was  from  Topeka,  Kansas, 
and  was  the  editor  and  publisher  of  a  little  religious 
paper.  Though  holding  mainly  to  the  same  religious 
tenets  as  myself,  he  saw  fit,  for  some  reason,  to  oppose 
me  and  attack  me  in  various  ways,  and  endeavored  to 
assume  leadership.  As  I  wished  to  avoid  all  ap- 
pearance of  division  and  controversy,  which  would 
have  neutralized  all  of  the  good  influences  of  the 
meeting,  I  ignored  this  conduct  on  his  part  as  far  as 
possible  and  bore  these  injuries  as  patiently  as  I 
could,  but  they  had  a  deadening  effect  upon  the 
meeting.  His  conduct  was  not  only  un-Christian  but 
discourteous  and  ungentlemanly.  In  all  the  camp- 
meetings  I  held  in  fifteen  years  the  same  liberty  was 
extended  as  in  the  last  one  but  Mr.  Sexton  was  the 
only  man  who  thus  abused  this  liberty. 

I  forgot  to  mention  it  in  its  proper  place  that  on 
March  29th,  1884,  our  second  daughter  was  born, 
and  we  named  her  Lois  Retta.  We  had  removed  in 
the  spring  of  this  year  to  the  south  part  of  town  and 


194  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

occupied  the  house  in  which  we  had  formerly  lived. 
It  was  more  convenient  to  the  land  I  had  bought. 
We  now  had  a  family  of  six  children  and  while  our 
living  expenses   had   increased  our   income  had  not 
kept  pace  with  this  increase,  and  though  my  efforts 
at  farming  had  somewhat  added  to  our  resources  it 
was  scarcely  sufficient  to  make  up  the  discrepancy. 
The  older  children  are,  the  more  expensive  they  are, 
and  when  a  family  grows  in  numbers  as  well  as  in  age, 
the  living  expenses  mount  up  rapidly.     We  now  had 
two  cows  and  soon  had  three,  and  we  began  to  sell 
a  little  milk  to  the  neighbors.     Feed  was  not  costly 
and   there   was   considerable   profit   in  this  business. 
Then  I  took  any  opportunity  to  help  along  by  doing 
any  job  of  work  that  fell  into  my  hands.     But  not- 
withstanding   my    efforts    we    felt    the    pinchings    of 
poverty  more   during  the  next  three  or   four  years 
than  at  any  other  time  in  our  history.     I  found  also 
that  the  abasing  of  myself   to   the  performance   of 
menial  tasks  to  make  myself  self-supporting  did  not 
add  to  my  prestige  with  people  in  general,  and  not 
even  with  the  brethren.     I  learned  the  lesson  that  the 
Apostle  Paul  learned  at  Corinth,  when  he  made  tents 
to  relieve  the  church  of  his  support.     They  thought 
the  less  of  him  for  his  self-denial,  and  honored  those 
rather  who  took  of  them  and  domineered  over  them. 
He  did  not  use  his  power  over  them,  as  he  asserts. 
It  was  their  duty  to  support  him,  but  he  did  not  re- 
quire it  of  them  and  thus  lowered  himself  in  their 
estimation.     The  brethren  in  Sullivan  were  few  and 
not  wealthy,  and  so  were  they  generally  in  other  places, 
and  I  wished  to  spare  them ;  but  they  did  not  seem 
to  appreciate  my  efforts  in  their  behalf.    As  a  rule,  if 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  195 

we  undervalue  ourselves,  others  will  also  undervalue 
us.  A  minister  of  the  gospel  needs  to  ponder  well 
Paul's  advice  to  Timothy,  "  Let  no  man  despise  thee." 
Anything  that  lowers  a  minister  in  the  estimation  of 
his  brethren,  whether  it  ought  to  do  so  or  not,  will 
lessen  his  authority.  An  independent  spirit  and  a 
desire  to  be  self-supporting  ought  not  to  lower  one  in 
the  esteem  of  any  person;  but  there  may  have  been 
some  sub-conscious  motive  in  my  mind  of  which  I  was 
not  aware,  that  was  not  pleasing  to  God.  At  all 
events  I  found  it  necessary  to  change  my  conduct  in 
this  manner. 

During  the  fourteen  years  from  1870  to  1884,  my 
work  had  been  principally  that  of  an  evangelist.  It 
is  true  that  I  had  charge  of  the  church  in  Sullivan,  as 
its  pastor,  but  evangelism  occupied  most  of  my  time. 
During  this  period  I  had  travelled  thousands  of  miles 
and  had  labored  at  various  points  in  a  territory  ex- 
tending from  eastern  Ohio  to  central  Kansas.  At  a 
number  of  places  small  congregations  had  been  gath- 
ered, some  of  them  meeting  regularly  each  week. 
From  this  time  on,  my  evangelistic  labors  began  to 
slacken.  It  is  true  I  occasionally  visited  a  new  point 
and  held  meetings,  but  these  calls  became  fewer  and 
fewer.  A  spiritual  lethargy  seemed  to  be  stealing 
upon  the  people.  It  seemed  henceforth  to  be  my 
main  work  to  look  after  these  scattered  congrega- 
tions. When  the  gospel  had  gained  a  foothold  the 
interest  still  seemed  to  survive,  especially  among  those 
who  had  accepted  the  truth,  at  least  in  theory.  Then 
the  work  in  Sullivan  began  to  demand  more  of  my 
time  and  attention.  Our  numbers  were  slowly  in- 
creasing through  additions  from  without  and  after- 


196  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

ward  from  removals  from  other  points  to  Sullivan. 
This  period  continued  for  the  next  sixteen  years, 
during  which  my  work  became  gradually  more  and 
more  pastoral.  There  were  six  or  eight  points  which 
I  visited  pretty  regularly,  from  once  to  three  or  four 
times  each  year,  and  others  that  I  visited  occasionally. 
During  the  years  1885-86,  I  held  no  large  meetings. 
I  occasionally  held  preaching  services  in  Sullivan  in 
some  public  hall,  which  services  were  usually  well 
attended  by  the  public.  I  still  continued  to  farm  with 
indifferent  success  generally.  I  could  not  raise  a  full 
crop  of  corn  but  I  had  good  success  in  raising  oats, 
which  was  not  a  profitable  crop.  I  paid,  as  rent,  two- 
fifths  of  the  corn  and  one-third  of  the  oats  in  the 
crib  or  bin.  My  landlord  got  a  fair  return  for  the 
use  of  his  land,  as  rents  were  low,  but  I  did  not  have 
much  left  after  expenses  were  paid  and  the  team 
fed  for  a  whole  year.  Produce  usually  sold  at  a 
low  price.  I  sold  fat  hogs  as  low  as  31/2  cents  per 
pound.  In  the  spring  of  1885,  one  of  my  horses 
was  badly  cut  on  a  plough  and  lamed  for  life.  My 
old  mare  had  died  and  I  had  to  buy  another  horse. 
He  was  young  and  not  very  gentle  and  caused  the 
accident. 

In  the  fall  of  1885,  I  visited  Schuyler  county,  Mis- 
souri, where  I  had  held  the  grove-meetings.  Elder 
Rynders  accompanied  me.  Rather  an  amusing  ex- 
perience occurred  in  this  trip.  I  was  always  careful 
of  my  health  and  when  travelling  any  great  distance 
even  in  the  warmest  weather  I  always  took  with  me 
an  extra  garment  that,  when  being  out  at  night,  I 
might  be  protected  from  any  change  in  temperature. 
I  had  with  me  on  this  trip  a  shawl,  carried  in  a 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  197 

shawl  strap.    Brother  Rynders  had  taken  no  such  pre- 
caution.    It  was  quite  warm  while  we  were  in  Mis- 
souri and,  as  I  carried  my  bundle  from  place  to  place 
as    we    changed    stopping    places,    he    became    much 
amused  and  rallied  me  about  the  matter.     When  we 
returned  to  Illinois  we  stopped  in  Fulton  county  at 
the  village  of  London  Mills,  and  held  a  few  night 
meetings  on  the  site  of  the  camp-meeting  of  the  pre- 
vious year.    We  put  up  with  Brother  Henry  Thurman 
in  London  Mills  and  drove  back  and  forth  to  and 
from   the  meetings,  a  distance  of   about  five  miles. 
The  weather  had  turned  quite  cool  and  as  I  did  the 
preaching   Brother  Rynders  borrowed   my   shawl   to 
wear  while  listening  to  me.     Unfortunately  for  me, 
he  forgot  to  return  it  to  me  before  starting  on  the 
return  trip,  and  I  lost  the  use  of  it,  after  carrying 
it  so  long  as  an  incumbrance,  and  was  left  to  shiver 
or  borrow  one  of  someone  else.     This  was  quite  a 
joke  on  someone  and  I  suspicioned  that  it  was  on  me. 
Fortunately  I  did  not  take  cold  nor  receive  any  other 
harm  from  the  exposure.     Not  a  great  while  after 
this  meeting  Brother  Thurman,  who  ran  a  sawmill, 
accidentally  fell  on  the  circular  saw  while  it  was  in 
motion  and  was  instantly  killed,  and  I  was  summoned 
to  conduct  his  funeral.     My  sister,  Martha  Ellen,  the 
wife  of  Brother  S.  A.  Poland,  had  died  in  1884,  leaving 
four  children,  the  youngest  but  a  week  or  two  old, 
and   it   soon   followed   her.     My   sister  was   a  good 
woman,  a  faithful  Christian,  and  I  missed  her  sadly. 
She   was  the  only  one  of  my   father's   family  who 
fully  sympathized  with  my  views  and  my  work.     I 
think  it  was  the  next  year  that  Brother  Poland  married 
Sister    Mary    Delana,    the    widow    of    Brother   Lark 


198  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

Delana,    to    provide    a    mother    for    his    motherless 
children. 

During  the  year  1886,  matters  went  on  about  as 
before.  I  continued  my  avocation  of  farming  and 
my  vocation  of  preaching.  Nothing  extraordinary 
occurred  in  either.  I  held  no  large  meetings  and 
raised  no  large  crops.  In  the  meetings  in  Sullivan 
we  were  striving  to  learn  how  to  worship  God  in 
spirit  and  truth.  We  were  endeavoring  to  learn  what 
was  Christian  liberty  and  how  to  extend  it  to  others. 
This  is  not  an  easy  lesson  to  learn,  and  comparatively 
few  ever  learn  it.  To  understand  in  what  sense  a 
man  is  his  brother's  keeper  and  in  what  sense  he  is 
not,  is  really  important  and  requires  spiritual  illumi- 
nating and  discernment.  As  a  rule,  a  zealous  man  acts 
where  he  has  no  responsibility  and  refrains  where  he 
is  responsible.  However,  a  homily  on  this  point  is 
not  appropriate  here.  The  meetings  often  were  quite 
free  and  spiritual ;  at  other  times  they  seemed  dry  and 
formal.  We  learned  that  we  could  not  supply  the 
liberty  of  the  Spirit  by  noise  and  wrought  up  enthu- 
siasm. We  could  only  await  the  movings  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  On  the  whole,  the  meetings  were  lively  and 
enjoyable.  I  held  several  short  series  of  preaching 
services  in  public  halls  in  Sullivan  and  had  a  good 
attendance  of  the  public.  Now  and  then  someone 
would  cast  his  or  her  lot  among  us,  and  there  were 
very  few  deflections.  My  views  of  the  gospel  system 
gradually  expanded  and  at  the  same  time  became 
more  clear  and  definite.  There  was  no  revolution  in 
my  views,  but  a  constant  evolution.  In  particular  did 
the  doctrines  of  grace  open  up  to  me,  and  I  saw  more 
and  more  clearly  what  was  meant  by  salvation  by 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  199 

grace.  How  little  is  this  glorious  doctrine  compre- 
hended even  among  its  professed  votaries!  Another 
point  that  became  very  clear  to  me  was  that  a  Chris- 
tian's difficulties  did  not  arise  from  the  state  of  his 
heart,  but  from  the  exercise  of  his  free  will.  I  do 
not  suppose  that  I  was  any  more  ignorant  nor  blind 
than  the  majority  of  believers,  but  it  took  me  quite  a 
while  to  discern  this  simple  truth.  I  sometimes  had 
experiences  that  I  could  not  account  for  when  things 
went  wrong.  I  could  not  understand  how  a  pure 
heart  could  produce  such  feelings  as  I  would  have 
or  bear  such  fruit.  I  was  often  willing  to  throw  away 
my  profession  and  start  anew,  but  I  could  not  feel 
free  to  do  so.  At  length  I  learned  that  my  trouble 
arose  not  from  the  state  of  my  heart,  but  to  my  re- 
sistance to  God's  will  as  expressed  in  His  providences. 
God  could  not  do  for  me  what  I  needed,  I  must  do 
it  myself,  viz:  submit  to  God's  will,  then  all  would 
be  peaceful  and  serene.  I  learned  that  the  only  way 
in  which  we  can  really  understand  the  doctrines  of  the 
gospel  is  through  experience. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

I  ACQUIRE  A  NEW  BUSINESS  AND  A 
NEW  HOUSE. 

In  the  year  1887,  I  still  continued  my  usual  farming 
operations,  not  neglecting  my  ministerial  duties.  I 
recall  nothing  of  special  interest  in  my  religious  work. 
In  the  fall  of  the  year  I  took  up  a  new  business.  We 
now  had  three  cows  and  had  been  for  some  years 
selling  milk  to  our  neighbors,  the  boys  carfying  to  them 
night  and  morning.  I  thought  I  saw  an  opening  for 
going  into  the  business  more  extensively  and  starting 
a  wagon.  I  pondered  the  matter  for  some  time  and 
then  determined  to  try  the  experiment.  There  was 
no  milk  wagon  running  in  the  town  at  that  time.  At 
least  two  persons  had  tried  the  business  and  had 
given  it  up  as  a  failure.  In  a  short  time  after  I  had 
begun  I  had  to  begin  buying  new  cows,  and  for  six 
or  eight  months  all  the  profits  of  the  business  went 
into  cows.  At  the  end  of  this  time  I  had  quite  a 
dairy  and  was  selling  about  as  much  milk  as  I  ever 
have  done  since.  I  did  none  of  the  peddling  myself, 
but  delegated  this  part  of  the  business  to  the  boys,  who 
went  round  with  the  wagon  night  and  morning,  and 
for  twenty  years  the  wagon  went  twice  each  day, 
without  one  failure,  cold  or  hot,  wet  or  dry.  I  was 
not  properly  prepared  for  the  business,  as  I  had 
no  suitable  barn,  and  so  went  forward  under  diffi- 

200 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  201 

culties.  But  we  found  sufficient  profit  in  it,  even 
under  these  handicaps,  to  greatly  assist  in  the  support 
of  my  family,  and  from  this  time  on,  my  circumstances 
improved. 

On  November  2nd  of  this  year,  our  third  daughter 
was  born,  and  was  named  Leah  Lorena.  We  now 
had  seven  children,  quite  a  respectable  sized  family. 

In  1888  I  still  continued  farming  along  with  the  milk 
business.  I  found  in  the  latter  business  that  there 
was  much  more  sale  for  milk  in  the  winter  and  early 
spring  when  it  cost  the  most  to  produce  it  than  in 
the  summer,  when  it  cost  much  less.  In  the  summer 
time  I  had  more  cows  than  I  needed  and  the  surplus 
milk  was  left  on  my  hands.  I  also  found  it  difficult 
to  procure  good  milch  cows.  Those  recommended 
to  me  as  first-class  proved  disappointing  after  I  had 
bought  them,  and  if  I  sold  them  I  could  never  get 
for  them  what  I  paid.  In  fact  there  were  few  good 
cows  in  this  section  of  the  country.  I  got  along,  how- 
ever, though  in  an  unsatisfactory  manner,  and  with 
what  financial  aid  I  received  in  gospel  work,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  supporting  my  family. 

For  some  years  I  had  been  thinking  of  the  advan- 
tages of  owning  my  own  dwelling.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  paying  rent  for  a  house  to  live  in  was  a  waste 
of  money.  But  work  and  manage  as  I  might,  I  could 
not  get  ahead.  Everything  I  attempted  was  disap- 
pointing. I  thought  I  was  submitted  to  the  will  of 
God  in  the  matter,  but  the  Lord  had  made  it  clear 
to  me  that  my  submission  was  not  complete.  So  I 
proceeded  to  make  it  complete.  I  told  the  Lord  that 
I  was  perfectly  willing  to  live  in  a  rented  house  as 
long  as  I  should  live  and  I  realized  this  to  be  true, 


202  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

and  I  gave  up  thought  of  anything  different.  In  a 
few  months  after  this  experience  Brother  S.  A.  Poland 
and  his  partner  in  business,  Brother  A.  P.  Powers, 
proposed  to  me  that  they  would  furnish  the  materials 
to  build  me  a  house  on  the  land  that  I  had  bought. 
I  accepted  their  offer  and  through  the  assistance  of 
other  brethren,  in  particular,  Brother  L.  T.  Hagerman, 
a  carpenter  and  builder,  in  July  I  was  enabled  to  move 
into  a  house  of  my  own,  costing  nearly  one  thousand 
dollars,  though  had  it  been  built  on  contract  it  would 
have  cost  much  more,  with  my  indebtedness  increased 
but  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  My  land  needed 
tilling  and  I  borrowed  fifty  dollars  of  Brother  Jasper 
Shaw  to  assist  in  the  work.  Brother  Shaw  afterwards 
gave  me  the  amount  of  the  loan.  I  moved  an  old 
corn-crib  and  stable  onto  my  land  and  with  some 
additions  I  constructed  a  sort  of  cow  barn,  which 
served  that  purpose  for  more  than  ten  years.  I  dug 
some  shallow  wells  that  furnished  stock  water  except 
in  very  dry  times.  Thus  I  was,  in  a  rude  way, 
equipped  for  carrying  on  the  dairy  business.  Our 
sitting  room  was  rather  large  and  communicated  with 
a  smaller  room  by  means  of  double  doors,  and  together 
the  two  rooms  afforded  more  room  for  the  meetings. 

About  this  time  a  movement  began  which  increased 
the  size  of  our  congregation.  Brethren  from  abroad 
began  to  remove  to  Sullivan  for  the  privilege  of  the 
meetings.  First,  about  this  time  or  some  time  after- 
wards, Brother  Jasper  Shaw  came  from  Fulton  county, 
having  bought  a  farm  near  the  city,  and  in  a  short 
time  Brother  James  T.  Chancy  followed  from  Mason 
county.  They  both  very  materially  bettered  their 
financial  interests  by  the  change.  Brother  Chancy 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  203 

also  purchased  a  large  farm  not  far  from  Sullivan. 
A  year  or  two  afterward  Brothers  W.  A.  Duncan, 
Nelson  LaNeue  and  Henry  A.  Emmons  came  to  Sul- 
livan with  their  families  from  Crawford  county,  Iowa. 
They  built  residences  in  the  city.  During  the  winter 
of  1888-89  I  visited  Crawford  county,  Iowa,  and  held 
meetings  in  Charter  Oak,  where  Brother  W.  A. 
Duncan  lived.  This  was  before  his  removal  to  Illi- 
nois. We  had  a  good  attendance  and  interesting 
meetings.  On  this  visit  I  saw  Brother  David  McCord 
for  the  last  time.  He  had  built  a  new  residence, 
large  and  comfortable,  which  he  much  needed.  In 
fitting  up  for  farming  I  had  necessarily  involved  my- 
self in  debt.  I  owed  several  hundred  dollars  aside 
from  my  mortgage.  I  desired  to  pay  off  this  indebt- 
edness and  concluded  to  try  other  forms  of  agriculture 
besides  raising  corn  and  oats.  I  decided  to  raise  sor- 
ghum and  make  it  into  syrup.  I  began  in  the  year 
1889.  I  planted  several  acres  of  sorghum,  procured 
a  second-hand  cane  mill,  and  bought  me  some  new 
evaporating  pans.  They  were  shallow  and  calculated 
to  boil  down  the  sap  quickly  and  give  the  best  of 
opportunity  to  remove  all  impurities.  As  I  knew  but 
little  about  this  process  I  sought  information  of  those 
who  had  made  sorghum  molasses,  and  read  every- 
thing I  could  find  written  on  the  subject,  which  was 
little.  I  bought  a  saccharometer  and  prepared  for 
business  as  well  as  possible.  I  used  litmus  paper  to 
test  the  amount  of  acid  in  the  cane  juice  and  used  lime 
water  to  neutralize  the  acid.  I  hired  an  "  expert  " 
and  kept  him  two  days.  He  proved  to  be  a  failure. 
Then  I  decided  to  go  it  alone.  The  people  were  used 
to  sorghum  syrup  boiled  in  deep  pans  or  kettles  which 


204  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

could  not  be  properly  cleansed  of  its  impurities  and 
which,  when  cooled,  was  dark  and  thick,  and  which 
would  not  run  in  cold  weather.  The  sorghum  of  com- 
merce was  thin  and  would  not  keep  in  hot  weather. 
It  registered  32  degrees  by  the  saccharometer.  I 
boiled  mine  until  it  registered  38  degrees  and  would 
begin  to  sugar  but  I  could  not  make  it  thick  nor  so 
dark  a  color.  However,  I  learned  by  experience  that 
it  would  keep  through  the  hot  weather  and  improved 
with  age.  I  continued  making  it  until  the  McKinley 
Bill  gave  us  free  sugar  and  spoiled  the  business.  I 
also  tried  raising  strawberries  and  although  I  never 
had  a  full  crop  I  made  some  money  in  the  venture. 
The  raising  of  sweet  potatoes  was  another  of  my 
projects  and  I  was  quite  successful  in  this  work  until 
sweet  potatoes  from  abroad  lowered  the  price  of  the 
product  so  far  as  to  take  away  the  profit.  By  means 
of  my  farming  operations  and  these  side  issues  I 
succeeded  in  freeing  myself  of  my  unsecured  debts 
in  three  or  four  years. 

On  January  29th,  1890,  our  fourth  daughter  was 
born  and  named  Lydia  Orpah.  She  had  the  good 
fortune  to  be  born  in  our  own  house,  and  we  have 
not  changed  our  residence  since.  The  winter  of  1889- 
90  my  wife  and  I  both  had  severe  attacks  of  la  grippe. 
My  wife  was  at  the  worst  at  the  time  of  her  confine- 
ment, having  a  severe  and  straining  cough,  and  I 
feared  that  she  would  not  survive  the  ordeal,  but 
through  the  mercy  of  God,  she  came  through  safely. 
My  principal  distress  was  in  my  head,  just  above  my 
eyes  and  it  resulted  in  great  impairment  of  my  sight 
through  astigmatism.  Up  to  this  time  I  could  read 
the  finest  print  without  lenses  though  I  was  nearly 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  205 

fifty  years  old.  I  felt  the  ill  effects  of  this  attack 
of  grippe  for  two  or  three  years  in  my  nervous 
system. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  because  I  have  said  little 
about  religious  meetings  that  the  gospel  work  was  neg- 
lected, but  the  meetings  were  not  of  a  nature  to  impress 
themselves  upon  my  memory.  There  was  nothing 
about  them  of  special  interest,  so  that  one  meeting  was 
not  differentiated  from  another.  As  I  have  before 
stated  my  work  was  gradually  narrowing  down  in 
extent  and  was  confined  to  fewer  places,  assuming 
more  and  more  a  pastorate  and  less  and  less  the  work 
of  an  evangelist.  Yet,  I  still  travelled  quite  exten- 
sively and  neglected  no  call  that  I  received. 

The  year  1890,  if  I  remember  correctly,  was  the 
last  year  in  which  I  carried  on  farming  operations. 
My  two  older  sons  got  work  that  year  during  school 
vacation  at  laying  concrete  side  walks,  a  business  just 
in  its  infancy  in  this  section  of  the  country,  and 
during  the  summer  they  learned  to  do  the  various 
parts  of  the  trade.  It  was  a  hot  dry  summer  but  I 
raised  the  best  crop  of  corn  I  ever  did  raise.  We 
put  up  a  large  supply  of  clover  hay  on  the  shares  so 
that  my  share  was  about  enough  to  feed  my  cows 
through  the  winter.  We  had  to  stack  our  hay  and  my 
haymow  would  hold  but  a  small  quantity.  In  the 
dairy  business  we  labored  under  two  handicaps :  we 
had  not  enough  pasture  land  to  properly  supply  the 
cows  in  the  summer  unless  it  was  a  wet  year;  and 
our  cow  barn  was  so  open  that  every  cold  wave 
would  shrink  the  milk  supply  in  the  winter.  This 
made  the  milk  yield  irregular  and  often  we  would 
be  compelled  to  buy  milk  to  supply  our  customers. 


206  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

But  it  was  the  best  we  could  do  under  the  circum- 
stances and  we  endeavored  to  be  content. 

Our  congregations  continued  to  increase  and  we 
found  ourselves  cramped  for  room,  so  it  was  decided 
that  accommodations  should  be  provided  by  building 
an  addition  to  my  house  where  the  meetings  were  held. 
Accordingly  in  the  summer  of  1891  a  two  story  front, 
sixteen  feet  square,  was  built  onto  my  house.  Between 
the  room  previously  used  for  meetings  and  the  new 
room  an  opening  was  left  seven  feet  wide,  closed  with 
sliding  doors.  This  afforded  us  abundance  of  room 
for  the  time  being.  The  new  room  was  occupied  by 
the  women,  the  old  one  mainly  by  the  men.  In  the 
spring  of  this  year  my  brother,  L.  O.  Harshman,  re- 
moved to  Sullivan  from  Ohio.  I  had  persuaded 
him  to  do  so  hoping  that  he  might  better  his  financial 
condition,  but  his  wife  was  not  satisfied  with  the 
change  and  he  returned  to  Ohio  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year. 

During  this  year  I  had  an  experience  which  was  the 
most  painful  and  harassing  that  I  have  passed  through 
during  the  whole  course  of  my  life.  The  details 
would  not  be  of  interest  and  I  will  give  only  the  out- 
lines of  the  affair.  As  I  have  already  stated,  the 
two  older  boys,  Paul  and  Rufus,  worked  at  laying 
concrete  walks  during  the  summer  of  1890  and  their 
employer  told  them  when  they  quit  work  in  the  fall 
that  if  they  would  work  for  him  the  next  year  he 
would  give  them  two  dollars  per  day.  They  told 
me  of  the  offer  and  although  this  sum  was  small 
wages  for  finishing,  I  was  willing  that  they  should 
accept  the  offer  as  they  were  young.  Rufus  was 
finishing  his  high  school  course  and  could  not  work 


HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS.  207 

until  June,  but  Paul  went  to  work  in  April.  He  did 
the  finishing,  kept  the  accounts,  etc.,  his  employer 
coming  around  about  twice  each  day  to  note  progress. 
After  about  two  weeks'  work  Paul  was  paid  for  his 
time  up  to  date  and  received  but  one  and  two-thirds 
dollars  per  day.  He  complained  to  me  of  this  and  I 
was  much  surprised  at  the  report.  His  employer 
had  picked  up  a  tramp  and  paid  him  two  dollars  per 
day  and  paid  the  finisher  the  smaller  sum.  I  was 
puzzled  at  this  conduct  and  went  to  the  employer  for 
explanation.  This  man  had  been  received  among 
us  as  a  brother  though  his  case  was  not  a  clear  one. 
I  had  believed  him  at  least  'sincere  and  well  intentioned. 
He  was  disposed  to  deny  his  promise  of  the  year 
before,  and  declared  he  could  not  afford  to  pay  the 
sum  he  had  promised.  I  knew  enough  about 
the  business  to  know  that  statement  to  be  untrue.  I 
never  have  been  able  to  understand  the  motive  that 
prompted  him  to  do  as  he  did.  The  sum  in  dispute 
was  trifling  and  not  worth  contending  about.  The 
division  of  sentiment  among  the  brethren  gave  Satan 
a  door  for  entrance  and  I  suffered  intensely  from  his 
assaults.  So  great  was  my  distress  that  I  felt  a  loss 
of  desire  to  live  longer  if  these  experiences  must 
continue.  After  several  months  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness gave  way  and  I  obtained  relief ;  but  the  victory 
was  not  even  then  as  decisive  as  I  could  have  desired. 
The  suffering  I  had  undergone  made  such  an  im- 
pression upon  my  health  that  it  was  followed  by  a 
severe  spell  of  sickness.  However,  it  resulted  greatly 
to  my  spiritual  advantage,  as  it  served  to  deliver  me 
from  fear  of  the  opinions  of  my  brethren  to  a  much 
greater  degree  than  I  had  before  experienced,  adding 


208  HARSHMAN'S  MEMOIRS. 

greatly  to  my  feeling  of  independence  of  men.  I 
afterward  found  to  my  astonishment  that  it  also  in 
a  marked  degree  increased  the  respect  and  reverence 
of  my  brethren  for  me  as  their  pastor  and  spiritual 
guide.  It  is  through  suffering  that  we  climb  the  heights 
of  spiritual  experience  and  spiritual  power. 

I  had  in  bearing  this  year  about  three-fourths  of  an 
acre  of  strawberries,  and  the  crop  being  fair,  they 
netted  me  a  neat  little  sum.  On  the  other  hand  I  lost  a 
valuable  young  mare  by  disease  so  that  accounts  about 
balanced. 


ADDENDA. 

Thus  ended  my  father's  "  Memoirs."  The  last 
chapter  was  written  only  five  or  six  weeks  before  his 
death.  He  told  me  only  a  few  days  before  he  died 
in  talking  over  his  affairs,  when  his  mind  reverted  to 
this  work,  that  it  was  all  right  as  it  stood,  as  nothing 
much  of  consequence  had  happened  after  the  time 
where  the  narrative  ended.  But  as  he  left  many 
interesting  letters  and  several  sermons,  which  have 
never  been  printed,  we  thought  it  would  be  of  interest 
to  print  them  and  tell  something  of  his  later  life  and 
triumphal  death,  as  he  lived  almost  twenty  years 
after  the  transpiration  of  the  events  of  which  he  last 
wrote. 

The  preparation  of  the  Memoirs  was  a  labor  which 
he  much  enjoyed,  though  much  of  it  was  done  when 
he  was  scarcely  able  for  the  task.  But  while  he  was 
not  physically  able  for  it,  his  mind  was  as  bright  and 
acute  as  it  ever  was,  and  remained  so  up  to  the  last 
few  moments  of  his  life. 

On  December  24th,  1892,  his  youngest  daughter 
was  born  and  was  named  Grace  Elizabeth.  She,  with 
her  four  brothers  and  four  sisters,  whose  births  have 
been  duly  noted,  all  survived  him  at  his  death.  Though 
he  suffered  affliction  in  his  earlier  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife  and  two  little  girls,  his  life  was  much  blessed 
in  respect  to  the  health  of  his  family  in  his  later 
years.  Upon  the  occasion  of  the  funeral  of  an  infant 


209 


210    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

grandson,  in  1909,  he  called  attention  to  the  fact  that 
in  his  immediate  family,  then  consisting  of  nine 
children  and  eighteen  grandchildren,  it  was  the  first 
death  in  more  than  thirty  years. 

Between  the  years  1892  and  1896,  he  prepared 
material  for  a  book  of  sermons,  which  was  published 
in  1896,  under  the  title  "  Sermons  on  Familiar  Sub- 
jects." This  was  followed  by  the  publication,  in  1902, 
of  another  book  of  sermons,  under  the  title  "  Chris- 
tian Citizenship  and  Other  Sermons."  In  1904,  his 
book,  "  A  Commentary  on  Romans,  Doctrinal  and 
Practical,"  was  published.  In  this  book  the  reader 
will  find  his  deep  insight  into,  and  his  profound  in- 
terpretation of  this  much  disputed-about  Epistle.  He 
also  left  manuscript  for  a  selection  of  hymns,  which 
was  published  after  his  death,  in  1913,  under  the 
title  "  Hymns,  Selected." 

His  congregation  continued  to  meet  at  his  private 
residence  for  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  after  1892, 
during  which  time  it  had  so  increased  in  number, 
through  the  growing-up  of  the  children  and  the  ad- 
dition of  friends  from  different  places,  who  located 
here,  that  in  1908  the  problem  of  providing  a  larger 
meeting  place  demanded  attention.  In  extremely  cold 
weather  it  was  impossible  to  make  all  comfortable 
with  stove  heat,  and  a  lack  of  proper  ventilation  and 
breathing  space  was  injurious  to  health.  We  all  felt 
a  hesitancy  about  building  a  meeting-house,  due  to  a 
fear  that  in  it  we  might  not  feel  the  same  freedom  and 
informality  that  we  did  in  a  private  house.  However, 
forced  by  the  necessity  of  the  circumstances,  it  was 
decided  that  we  would  build,  and  we  have  found  that 
our  fears  were  groundless.  A  lot  was  purchased 


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LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.   211 

across  the  street  from  father's  residence,  and  a  neat 
brick  chapel  was  built  with  an  auditorium  38x50 
ft.,  with  vestibule,  and  ante-room  of  sufficient  size 
for  the  accommodation  of  women  with  small  children. 
A  furnace  was  put  in  the  basement  and  a  steam 
heating  system  was  installed.  Modern  pews  were  put 
in  and  the  walls  were  frescoed,  making  us  a  very 
comfortable  place  of  meeting. 

About  the  year  1900  father's  health  began  to  fail. 
He  suffered  much  from  indigestion  and  affection  of 
the  pneumogastric  nerve,  causing  irregular  heart  action 
and  much  discomfort.  Through  the  summer  months 
when  he  could  be  out  in  the  open  air  he  got  along 
very  well,  but  when  the  long  winters  set  in  and  he 
could  not  get  out  much,  he  suffered  a  great  deal  from 
this  trouble.  After  the  winter  of  1908-09  he  decided 
that  if  the  Lord  spared  his  life,  and  means  were 
provided,  he  would  go  to  a  more  comfortable  clime 
through  the  winter  months.  This  he  was  able  to  do, 
and  so,  accompanied  by  my  mother,  sister  Orpah, 
Apollos  Hagerman  and  wife,  he  spent  the  latter  part 
of  January,  February  and  the  fore  part  of  March,  in 
California.  In  anticipation  of  his  absence  he  prepared 
a  few  sermons  which  he  left  to  be  read  to  the  con- 
gregation at  some  of  the  Sunday  services.  These  three 
sermons,  "  The  Conversion  of  Paul,"  "  God's  Means 
of  Salvation,"  and  "  The  Doctrine  of  the  imputation 
of  Sin  and  Righteousness,"  will  be  found  in  the  back 
of  this  book. 

Concerning  his  trip  to  California,  we  have  several 
letters  from  my  father,  which  follow: 


212    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  1/24/1910. 
Dear  Son: 

I  suppose  you  have  seen  some  of  the  letters  which 
Orpah  and  I  have  written,  but  I  will  begin  at  the 
beginning  anyway.     We  got  on  the  chair  car  at  Sul- 
livan, but  the  porter  of  the  parlor  car  came  to  me 
and  asked  me  if  we  did  not  want  to  ride  in  the  parlor 
car.     At  first  I  thought  not,  but  soon  changed  my 
mind,  disliking  to  spoil  his  high  opinion  of  me,  and 
thinking  that  I  needed  all  the  comfort  I  could  get. 
We  found  the  parlor  car  very  comfortable.     We  got 
into  St.  Louis  about  on  time  and  found  our  berths 
on  the  M.  P.  awaiting.    I  tried  to  find  a  place  in  which 
to  eat  our  lunch,  but  in  the  first-class  lunch  room  they 
furnished  lunch  at  your  expense,  and  we  did  not  like 
to  butt  into  the  second-class  lunch  room.     So  we  ate 
in  a  corridor.    About  fifteen  minutes  after  eating,  my 
stomach  gave  notice  of  a   revolt  and  continued   in- 
surgent all  night.     However,  I  slept  part  of  the  night. 
Our  train   left   at    10 :10   and   at   9 :30   we   went  on 
board.     Two  station  porters  assisted  us  with  our  lug- 
gage,  consisting   of   four   suit   cases   and   two   bags. 
We  reached  Kansas  City  late  the  next  morning  and 
were  met  by  Apollos,  who  had  secured  a  suite  of 
rooms   for   us   at   the   Coates   Hotel.     After  getting 
breakfast  at  the  lunch  counter  in  the  station,  when  I 
ate   two    poached   eggs    on   toast,    we    mounted   two 
flights  of  stairs  and  took  the  street  car  for  our  hotel. 
Soon   after   reaching   it  my  bowels  began   disturbing 
me  and  for  an  hour  and  a  half  I  suffered  intensely. 
I  then  got  ease  and  lay  down  and  fell  asleep,  but  it 
was  three  hours  longer  before  I  was  entirely  relieved. 
I  did  not  get  out  to  see  the  city  as  I  should  have 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    213 

liked  to  do.    The  next  day  I  felt  well  and  we  took  the 
train  at  about  9  :30.     The  train  was  in  two  sections, 
but  we  got  on  the  first  section  where  we  found  car 
No.  1.     Near  Lawrence  we  ran  through  more  than  a 
foot  of  water  for  quite  a  distance.     We  reached  the 
mountains   some  time   during  the   night   and  passed 
the  summit  of  the  Rockies  the  next  morning  beyond 
Trinidad,  Colorado,  about  8:00,  5  hours  late.     There 
is  a  tunnel  just  at  the  summit.     The  distinguishing 
feature  of  the  Rockies  is  that  they  are  rocky  ;  the  whole 
surface  of  the  ground  is  covered  with  fragments  large 
and  smalL    We  ran  down  the  west  side  of  the  moun- 
tains into  New  Mexico.     For  hours  we  ran  over  a 
vast    grassy    plain    with    mountains    in    the    distance. 
Occasionally  we  passed  a  small  station.     We  some- 
times saw  a  herd  of  cattle  or  sheep,  grazing.     New 
Mexico  is  principally  distinguished  for  its  distances; 
it  is  full  of  them.     We  passed  one  city  in  the  state 
(or  territory),  Albuquerque.     It  is  a  beautiful  place. 
During  the  night  we  entered  Arizona.     Eastern  Ari- 
zona resembles  New  Mexico,  but  western  Arizona  is 
a  sandy  plain,  destitute  of  grass,  but  sparsely  covered 
with  sage  brush.     Hills  and  mountains  are  always  in 
sight  but  you  have  to  guess  at  their  distance.     We 
saw   Indians  at  the  stations.     Some  of  them  are  in 
the  employ  of  the  railroad.    We  crossed  the  Colorado 
river  into  California  Friday  morning.     The  water  of 
the  river  looks  red,  hence  its  name.     We  passed  over 
the  Sierra  Nevada  Thursday  night.     We  crossed  the 
coast    range    about    dark    Friday    and    reached    Los 
Angeles  four  and  one-half  hours  late,  at  10  :30  p.  m. 
Here  cousin   Nelson  and   wife  met  us  and  took  us, 
or  rather  accompanied  us,  to  the  Hotel  Rosslyn,  where 


214    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

he  had  secured  a  suite  of  rooms  for  us,  two  con- 
tiguous bed-rooms  and  bath-room.  If  he  had  not 
done  this  we  would  have  had  trouble  to  get  rooms, 
though  Apollos  got  one.  The  next  morning  cousin 
Edith  came  for  us  at  9  :30  and  helped  us  find  a  cottage. 
We  got  one  at  726  E.  Adams  Street,  about  a  block 
and  one-half  from  where  my  cousin  lives.  It  is 
nicely  furnished,  the  owners  living  in  the  second  story. 
We  get  five  rooms  and  a  bath-room,  two  bed-rooms 
and  a  folding-bed  in  the  dining-room.  Saturday  was 
a  beautiful  day  here.  The  temperature  was  up  to  80°. 
Yesterday  and  today  it  is  cooler  and  fire  feels  pleasant. 
We  went  to  the  mission  to  meeting  yesterday.  I  went 
intending  to  be  pleased,  if  possible,  but  it  was  no 
use.  I  was  bored.  My  cousin  is  a  fine  man,  and  I 
like  his  wife,  also.  We  are  going  out  to  J.  J.  Harsh- 
man's  tomorrow.  We  are  quite  comfortable  and  my 
stomach  seems  to  be  on  its  good  behavior.  Food  is 
little  higher  here  than  there,  but  fuel  is  out  of  sight. 
I  have  written  a  long  letter  and  will  close.  Address  us 
at  726  E.  Adams  and  let  me  know  how  the  meetings 
progress,  and  how  they  like  sermons  read  to  them, 
how  the  chapel  progresses,  etc. 

Affectionately  your  Father  and  Mother, 

S.  R.  and  RETTA  L.  HARSHMAN. 

A  few  days  after  their  departure  for  California  a 
member  of  the  congregation  died.  It  is  partly  in 
regard  to  her  death  that  he  writes  in  his  next  letter, 
which  follows : 

Los  Angeles,  2/2/1910. 
Dear  Son: 

I  was  thinking  of  writing  to  you  when  I  received 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    215 

your  letter  and  Cora's  of  the  28th,  ult.  We  were 
glad  to  hear  from  you.  We  received  your  telegram 
informing  us  of  Mary  Houston's  death  on  the  same 
day  it  was  sent.  It  was  received  at  the  telegraph 
office  seven  minutes,  by  the  time  here,  after  you  sent 
it :  viz,  9:37,  but  we  did  not  get  it  until  our  return 
from  meeting.  We  were  not  surprised,  but  none- 
the-less  sorry.  It  seems  a  strange  dispensation  of 
Providence  that  she  should  be  thus  taken  away  from 
her  fatherless  children.  But  the  Lord  knows  best.  I 
trust  she  was  prepared  for  the  solemn  call.  We  must 
do  what  is  necessary  for  the  children.  I  suppose  they 
will  be  taken  to  their  grandfather's  and  that  she  will 
be  laid  to  rest  beside  her  little  son  in  Greenville. 

We  are  still  in  good  health.  I  suppose  you  have 
read  of  my  preaching  on  Sunday  and  the  results  to 
myself.  I  seem  to  be  entirely  recovered  from  the 
results  of  my  dissipation,  and  am  as  well  as  I  was 
last  week.  It  seems  strange  to  have  no  duties,  and 
to  be  entirely  an  idler,  yet  my  time  is  pretty  well 
taken  up.  We  breakfast  at  eight  o'clock,  I  read  the 
morning  paper  awhile,  write  a  letter  or  two,  go  out 
for  my  morning  walk  of  a  mile  or  two,  or  go  down 
town,  though  I  have  not  been  down  town  this  week, 
read  awhile  on  my  return,  and  it  is  dinner  time,  one 
o'clock.  I  rest  an  hour  after  dinner,  take  another 
walk  in  the  bright  sunshine,  read  a  little  more  and 
it  is  dusk,  and  almost  supper  time.  We  sup  at  six 
o'clock.  After  supper  put  on  gown  and  slippers  and 
take  it  easy  until  bedtime,  Mama  or  Orpah  reading 
to  me  some  evenings.  I  sleep  first  rate  and  enjoy 
eating,  hugely.  We  were  intending  to  go  to  Compton 
again  today,  but  cousin  Josiah  telephoned  that  he 


216    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

was  so  busy  that  he  wished  we  would  postpone  the 
visit  until  next  week  when  he  would  accompany  us 
to  Long  Beach.  That  suits  us,  for  it  is  too  cold  to 
make  Long  Beach  a  desirable  place  to  visit.  There 
was  a  damp,  cool  wind  from  the  ocean  yesterday 
p.  m.,  which  was  positively  chilling,  and  there  was 
a  slight  frost  this  morning.  According  to  the  morning 
paper  it  froze  some  in  the  nearby  mountains.  It  is 
pleasanter  this  morning,  but  the  mercury  out  of  doors 
stands  at  55°.  The  first  day  we  were  here  was  the 
warmest  we  have  had,  though  some  days  have  been 
quite  pleasant  to  be  out  of  doors.  Mama  and  I  went 
to  visit  Norris  Harshman  yesterday  p.  m.  We  walked 
one-quarter  of  a  mile  east  then  took  a  street  car  fifteen 
blocks  to  E.  Eleventh  Street.  We  found  them  without 
trouble.  They  are  living  with  his  wife's  niece,  who  is 
a  widow.  They  have  been  here  since  October.  We 
visited  them  when  in  Ohio.  She  is  a  great  talker 
and  reminded  me  of  a  story  I  told  her  in  1869,  when 
father  and  I  visited  them,  of  the  miller  who  slept 
while  his  mill  ran,  but  waked  up  promptly  when  it 
stopped.  We  spent  an  hour  with  them  and  walked 
all  the  way  back,  about  one  and  one-half  miles. 
Mama  became  tired  and  complained  of  my  fast 
walking.  She  says  when  I  take  a  walk,  I  walk  as  if 
I  was  sent  for.  I  naturally  walk  fast  when  I  feel 
well.  I  hope  you  will  get  Lucius'  house  ready  for 
occupancy  by  April  1st.  Glad  to  hear  that  the  chapel 
is  progressing,  also  that  my  sermon  was  appreciated 
I  think  it  a  good  one.  I  think  the  long  one  is  more 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    217 

profound,  though,  the  most  profound  of  any  I  ever 
wrote.  Others  may  not  agree  with  me,  but  I  trust 
they  may  like  it.* 

Your  affectionate  Father  and  Mother, 

S.  R.  and  RETTA  L.  HARSHMAN. 

His  next  letter  addressed  to  the  Brethren  and 
Friends,  telling  of  religious  affairs  in  Los  Angeles, 
follows : 

Dear  Brethren  and  Friends: 

I  have  written  a  number  of  personal  letters  to 
different  persons  among  you,  but  I  think  it  might  be 
well  to  write  an  epistle  to  you  collectively.  I  wish 
to  say  in  the  first  place  that  I  was  sorry  not  to  be 
with  you  in  the  time  of  your  affliction  over  the  death 
of  one  of  our  members,  but  my  heart  was  with  you. 
My  presence  would  have  done  nothing  to  avert  the 
stroke,  however,  and  little  to  ameliorate  its  pang. 

I  find  Los  Angeles  a  limbo  for  broken-down  Holi- 
ness evangelists,  as  well  as  the  home  for  nearly  all 
kinds  of  unusual  religions.  I  have  attended,  so  far, 
only  one  place  of  worship,  a  mission  supported  by  my 
cousin  here  in  the  city.  They  worship  in  a  hall  and 
have  but  a  small  attendance.  They  formerly  belonged 
to  the  large  Nazarene  Society,  founded  by  Dr.  Brazee, 
and  came  out  of  it  in  protest  against  sin  which  they 
found  condoned  by  the  authorities  of  that  society. 
They  are  probably  as  pure  and  self-denying  a  band  as 
can  be  found  in  the  city.  I  have  attended  three  meet- 
ings and  preached,  by  request,  at  the  last  one.  They 

*  This  refers  to  sermon  "  Imputation  of  Sin  and  Right- 
eousness " — back  of  book. 


218    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

are  a  devoted,  zealous,  enthusiastic  congregation. 
They  hold  to  much  truth  in  theory,  and  especially  to 
the  importance  and  necessity  of  the  influence  and  help 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  all  their  labors  and  worship. 
They  talk,  sing  and  pray  about  this,  and  for  this 
blessing.  And  yet  in  spite  of  my  sympathy  for  them 
and  respect  for  their  apparent  sincerity,  I  cannot 
realize  any  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Their  ser- 
vices, though  earnest,  enthusiastic, -and  sometimes  even 
noisy,  tire  and  bore  me.  I  did  not  express  my  feelings 
or  opinion  until  my  wife  and  Orpah,  Apollos  and  Alma 
expressed  themselves,  and  they  were  quite  unanimous 
and  emphatic  in  declaring  the  services  very  tiresome. 
If  these  people  have  not  the  Holy  Spirit  where  else  in 
this  great  city  can  I  look  for  it  with  any  prospect  of 
finding  what  I  seek?  But  is  this  not  an  awful  state 
of  things?  Their  pastor,  an  old  Holiness  evangelist, 
is  a  man  of  good  abilities,  earnest  and  devoted,  but 
his  preaching  is  lifeless  so  far  as  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
concerned.  After  my  sermon  last  Sunday  night  they 
had  a  mourner,  and  altar  exercises.  It  was  almost 
amusing  to  see  the  amazement  and  disgust  of  our 
young  people  at  the  performance,  as  it  was  their  first 
experience  of  the  kind.  It  is  truly  amazing  that  sen- 
sible people  should  do  such  things.  My  cousins  here 
are  honest,  sincere  men,  and  I  am  persuaded  that  if 
they  had  opportunity  of  hearing  the  truth  they  would 
receive  it.  The  Apostle  Paul  was  inclined  to  boast 
of  some  of  the  churches  he  founded,  and  I  some- 
times feel  like  doing  the  same  thing.  I  find  no  other 
people  like  the  one  I  serve.  May  the  Lord  bless  you 
and  make  you  more  peculiar  in  this  respect.  I  can 
only  wonder  how  so  many  people  with  so  much  theo- 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    219 

retical  knowledge  of  the  gospel  miss  the  power  of  it. 
The  people  of  this  mission  I  spoke  of  are  strong  to 
do  great  things.  They  have  organized  a  Holiness 
College  and  are  supporting  a  missionary  in  Japan. 
They  are  not  content  with  small  things  but  are  strain- 
ing after  things  that  are  beyond  their  means,  and 
thus  burdening  themselves  and  making  their  service 
hard.  All  this  time  they  are  imagining  that  they  are 
urged  forward  by  the  Lord,  when  it  is  their  own 
vanity  and  vainglory  that  moves  them.  The  Lord 
does  not  urge  us  to  undertake  what  will  burden  us. 
His  yoke  is  easy  and  His  burden  is  light.  He  does 
not  make  beggars  of  us  and  put  us  to  the  task  of 
showing  other  Christians  the  manner  in  which  they 
should  use  their  money.  My  cousin's  wife,  here  in  the 
city  is  very  zealous  in  promoting  this  work  and  has 
several  times  suggested  to  me  that  she  wishes  to  urge 
the  matter  on  me,  and  ask  my  help.  I  would  rather 
throw  my  money  into  the  Pacific  Ocean.  There,  at 
least,  it  would  harm  no  one,  not  even  the  fishes.  If 
I  had  millions  I  could  not  feel  free  to  use  it,  nor  any 
of  it,  in  that  way.  I  am  sorry  for  people  in  such 
a  state  of  darkness. 

There  is  at  present  in  Los  Angeles  a  Holiness  evan- 
gelist by  the  name  of  Joseph  Smith  holding  meetings 
but  I  do  not  know  just  where  and  so  have  attended 
none  of  his  meetings.  Next  Tuesday  the  Pentecostal 
Association  of  California  is  to  hold  an  all-day  meeting 
at  the  same  place,  which  will  close  these  meetings. 
This  is  the  Holiness  Association  of  this  state.  I 
scarcely  think  I  will  attend.  I  see  from  the  daily 
papers  that  there  are  several  congregations  in  this  city 
who  announce  themselves  as  truth-seekers,  but  I  judge 


220    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

from  what  they  say,  and  the  subjects  discussed  at 
their  meetings  that  they  are  skeptics  and  infidels. 
They  will  look  for  truth  a  long  time  in  the  direction 
in  which  they  now  turn  their  eyes  without  finding 
the  truth.  Truth  is  such  an  entire  stranger  to  them 
that  they  would  not  recognize  her  if  they  met  face  to 
face. 

I.  N.  Cooly,  whom  I  had  not  seen  for  nearly  forty 
years,  hunted  me  up  during  the  past  week.  He  and 
his  wife  were  saved,  or  professed  to  be  saved  in  my 
meeting  in  Arcola,  in  the  winter  of  1868-69.  She 
died  a  few  years  afterward  and  he  has  been  married 
twice  since.  He  has  lived  in  this  vicinity  for  the  five 
years  last  past,  and  says  he  is  in  feeble  health.  He 
is  now  attached  to  no  sect  and  attends  meeting  no 
where.  We  hope  to  visit  him  before  we  leave  this 
place.  We  are  having  dry,  bright,  pleasant  weather, 
not  so  cool  as  it  was  a  few  days  past.  I  think  we  will 
be  at  home  by  the  middle  of  March  at  the  furthest. 
Trusting  that  the  Lord  will  continue  with  you  and 
lead  you  onward,  I  subscribe  myself  your  Pastor  and 
Friend,  and  Brother  in  Christ, 

S.  R.  HARSH  MAN. 


He  returned  from  California  much  improved  in 
health.  Our  chapel  was  completed  soon  after  his 
return  and  the  first  meetings  were  held  in  it  about 
the  third  Sunday  after  his  arrival.  Many  of  the 
friends  from  other  communities  were  invited,  and 
Burnell  Johnson  of  Toledo,  Ohio,  was  invited  to 
occupy  the  pulpit  with  father  and  assist  in  the 
services. 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    221 

Father  was  able  to  preach  almost  every  Sunday  all 
through  the  summer  and  fall,  but  along  about  the 
Holidays,  he  was  suddenly  taken  with  his  old  trouble. 
So  he  and  mother  and  sister  Leah,  arranged  to  go 
to  San  Antonio,  Texas,  to  see  if  the  change  would 
not  prove  beneficial.  He  was  bothered  at  this  time 
with  swelling  of  his  limbs,  and  swelling  in  the  ab- 
dominal cavity.  We  were  much  concerned  as  to  his 
condition  and  were  quite  anxious  as  to  the  outcome. 
He  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the  state  of  his  health 
and  his  attitude  concerning  it  in  the  several  letters 
which  follow : 

New  Orleans,  La.,  Jan.  21,  1911. 
Dear  Children: 

This  morning  finds  us  in  the  Crescent  City.  We 
arrived  at  10  o'clock  last  night,  one  and  three-quar- 
ters hours  late,  and  found  the  S.  P.  (Southern  Pa- 
cific) train,  to  which  we  should  have  been  attached, 
had  gone.  So  we  lie  over  until  11 :55  this  morning. 
I  stood  the  strain  of  getting  off,  and  of  the  trip  to 
Mattoon  better  than  I  expected  to  do,  and  went  im- 
mediately to  bed  and  slept  until  morning.  I  felt 
quite  well,  for  me,  all  day  yesterday,  though  the 
weather  was  wretched  most  of  the  day.  It  got 
brighter  toward  evening  and  warmer  also.  It  was 
quite  warm  and  close  in  our  berth,  and  I  lay  all  night 
without  cover.  I  am  feeling  cheerful  and  hopeful 
and  not  like  an  abandoned  orphan.  Mama  was  quite 
unwell  last  night  of  her  cold,  but  is  better  this  morn- 
ing. The  country  through  which  we  travelled  yester- 
day, through  western  Tennessee  and  Mississippi,  was 


222    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

low  and  swampy  and  dreary  to  look  at  in  the  extreme. 
There  was  not  much  scenery  to  engage  the  eye.  The 
architecture  along  the  route  was  not  high  class. 
Negro  cabins  are  not  uplifting  to  look  at.  New  Or- 
leans is  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Mat- 
toon,  and  we  have  about  the  same  distance  still  to 
travel.  We  will  not  reach  San  Antonio  until  to- 
morrow forenoon  if  on  time  (Sunday).  I  telegraphed 
from  Memphis  to  the  St.  Anthony  hotel  in  San  An- 
tonio to  reserve  a  two-room  suite  and  bath  for  me 
Saturday  night  and  over  Sunday.  As  we  will  not 
reach  there  Saturday  night  suppose  we  will  have  the 
suite  to  pay  for  anyway.  But  that  will  cost  us  no 
more  than  if  we  had  reached  there  on  time,  as  our 
extra  night  on  the  sleeper  will  cost  us  nothing.  You 
can  write  to  me,  addressing  me  simply  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  until  we  get  located.  We  hope  to  hear  from 
you  soon. 

With  much  love, 

Your  affectionate  father  and  mother, 

S.  R.  and  R.  L.  HARSHMAN. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  Jan.  23,  1911. 

Dear  Son : 

San  Antonio  opened  her  hospitable  arms  to  receive 
us  about  10 :30  yesterday  morning,  but  her  embrace 
is  quite  cool,  as  the  mercury  fell  during  Saturday 
night  to  about  45  degrees,  and  it  is  still  cool.  I  stood 
the  trip  quite  well  though  it  was  tiresome  as  the  coach 
was  full  and  room  scarce.  There  was  no  room  to 
"  boil  over "  into  except  the  library  car  which  was 
used  as  a  smoker  until  we  got  on  to  the  Southern 
Pacific.  They  had  an  observation  car.  Mama  was 
quite  sick  all  day  yesterday  with  high  fever,  but  is 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    223 

free  of  fever  this  morning,  and  feeling  much  better. 
Leah  is  sick  this  morning.  These  circumstances  will 
keep  us  in  the  hotel  another  day,  as  they  cannot  see 
about  renting  furnished  rooms.  There  are  quite  a 
number  of  cottages  and  furnished  rooms  advertised 
and  I  suppose  we  will  have  no  trouble  to  find  some- 
thing suitable.  Many  advertisements  read  "  No  sick 
or  children "  so  I  will  pose  as  a  well  man.  If  it 
were  not  for  the  condition  of  my  legs  I  would  feel 
pretty  well  now,  but  they  continue  to  swell  up  during 
the  day,  and  shrink  during  the  night.  When  swollen, 
they  feel  so  stiff  and  unnatural  I  dislike  to  do  much 
walking.  I  am  in  hopes  these  symptoms  will  grad- 
ually abate  as  my  general  health  improves.  I  feel 
quite  a  little  better  than  I  did  ten  days  ago.  This  is 
a  fine  hotel,  much  the  same  class  as  the  one  we 
stopped  at  in  Los  Angeles.  It  is  called  the  St.  An- 
thony. We  have  rooms  on  the  second  floor,  nicely 
furnished,  steam  heated,  electric  lighted.  The  restau- 
rant and  cafe  in  the  building  are  each  first  class,  but 
the  prices  are  "  fierce."  Mama  insisted  on  my  going 
down  to  breakfast  with  her  this  morning  as  Leah  was 
sick.  Our  frugal  meals  cost  us  90  cents.  If  we  stay 
here  long  we  will  hunt  a  restaurant  outside.  I  think 
San  Antonio  is  a  modern  city  from  what  I  have  seen 
Affectionately  your  father, 

S.  R.  HARSHMAN. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  February  3,  1911. 
Dear  Son : 

Your  letter  came  promptly  to  hand  and  I  answered 
your  queries  in  a  letter  to  Clement  which  you  have 
no  doubt  seen.  My  nerves  are  much  better  than  be- 
fore I  left  home,  and  my  digestion  is  improved,  but 


224    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

the  other  symptoms  remain  about  the  same  as  yet. 
The  weather  here  is  fine  and  I  am  enjoying  God's 
tonic  of  pure  air  and  sunshine.  I  have  suffered  much 
physical  discomfort  during  the  last  six  weeks  and  I 
trust  my  experience  may  not  be  in  vain,  that  I  may 
be  neither  stubborn  nor  stupid,  but  that  I  may  learn 
obedience  by  the  things  which  I  suffer.  I  am  cha- 
grined and  ashamed  that  I  should  have  brought  this 
suffering  upon  myself  by  my  own  self  will.  I  had  no 
wrong  intention,  but  made  the  mistake  of  thinking 
that  God's  will  agreed  with  mine.  Henceforth  I  hope 
to  be  sure  that  my  will  harmonizes  with  His.  I  was 
so  persistent  that  I  made  it  necessary  to  bring  me 
up  with  a  sharp  turn.  My  sickness  came  like  light- 
ning out  of  a  clear  sky,  but  I  am  reproved  and  cor- 
rected. My  course  was  a  mistake.  It  is  not  supris- 
ing  that  I  should  make  mistakes.  I  have  no  human 
path  blazed  out  ahead  of  me  but  must  blaze  it  my- 
self. The  man  whom  God  thus  sends  out  as  a  pioneer 
must  suffer  many  hard  knocks.  I  was  carrying  others' 
burdens  to  their  spiritual  detriment  and  my  own 
physical  harm.  The  work  was  not  moving  forward 
as  it  should.  We  must  be  taught  a  lesson.  There 
were  difficulties  in  the  way  that  we  were  not  reaching. 
Some  deceived  that  needed  to  be  undeceived;  some 
thinking  they  wanted  salvation  who  were  making  no 
progress  toward  God.  God  will  show  us  how  to  get 
at  these  things  if  we  seek  wisdom.  I  trust  He  will 
give  me  a  chance  to  correct  my  errors.  While  He 
has  use  for  me,  all  the  devils  in  hell  cannot  kill  me. 
When  He  has  no  further  use  for  me  here  will  be 
the  right  time  to  go  to  Glory.  You  may  read  this  to 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    225 

the  Church.    Send  me  news  of  the  meetings  and  other 
things  of  interest. 

Your  affectionate  -father, 

S.  R.  HARSHMAN. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  2/9/1911. 
Dear  Son: 

Your  letter  came  this  morning.  I  am  rejoiced  to 
learn  of  your  good  meetings,  and  I  hope  the  Lord 
will  do  great  things  for  you.  I  do  not  know  what  He 
is  going  to  do  with  me,  only  that  it  will  be  the  best 
thing.  A  few  years,  more  or  less,  makes  but  little 
difference.  I  have  a  desire  to  be  useful  to  the  Church 
a  while  longer,  and  if  the  Lord  sees  that  I  can  be  He 
will  spare  me  a  while;  I  leave  it  all  to  Him.  Disease 
and  threatening  symptoms  are  nothing  to  God;  they 
try  our  faith  and  test  our  self-abandonment.  It  is  a 
great  relief  to  leave  the  whole  matter  with  God;  it 
so  simplifies  things.  I  am  feeling  pretty  well,  though 
my  condition  is  quite  uncomfortable.  I  slept  well 
last  night  and  my  general  condition  may  be  slowly 
improving,  but  symptoms  remain  about  the  same.  It 
is  cooler  here,  making  fire  necessary  for  comfort. 
Mama  and  Leah  are  well.  Let  us  hear  from  you  often 
whether  I  write  or  not. 

Affectionately  your  father, 

S.  R.  HARSHMAN. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  2/16/1911. 
Dear  Son. : 

I  was  pleased  to  get  your  letter  and  glad  to  hear 
of  the  good  meetings  you  have  been  having,  glad  to 
learn  that  you  had  been  praying  for.  me,  as  I  need  your 
prayers.  I  lost  some  ground  lasP'wtfek,  the  result  of 


226    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

indigestion  but  am  feeling  considerably  better  this 
week.  I  find  it  difficult  to  get  around  on  foot;  it 
causes  pressure  on  my  stomach  and  shortness  of 
breath,  otherwise  I  am  about  the  same.  I  slept  nine 
hours  last  night.  I  find  that  the  hot  days  here  are 
hard  on  me.  They  affect  my  nerves,  and  I  dread  them. 
For  this  reason  I  shall  not  stay  here  longer  than  Feb- 
ruary, as  the  heat  would  probably  be  worse  on  me  than 
the  cold.  I  cannot  say  what  day  I  will  be  home,  but 
will  let  you  know  in  time.  I  found  the  swelling  re- 
duced all  over  me  this  morning  when  I  got  up,  which 
is  not  an  unfavorable  sign.  I  have  felt  somewhat  pes- 
simistic about  the  outcome,  but  I  agree  with  the  Irish 
woman  who  is  house-keeper  for  the  Reverend  Jones, 
"If  the  Lord  wants  him  to  get  well,  He  will  make 
him  well."  Mrs.  Hicks  called  on  us  yesterday.  She 
is  quite  a  pleasant  lady,  and  I  enjoyed  a  little  society. 
I  was  sitting  out  on  the  front  porch.  We  liked  the 
pictures  very  much,  were  pleased  to  get  them.  Some 
of  the  people  think  you  look  like  me,  others  think 
you  look  like  your  mother.  Hope  to  see  you  before 
a  great  while.  Love  to  all. 

Your  affectionate  father, 

S.  R.  HARSHMAN. 

San  Antonio,  Texas,  2/18/1911. 
Dear  Son: 

We  got  your  letter  of  Thursday  evening.  Was 
sorry  to  hear  we  had  made  you  feel  gloomy  with  the 
report  of  my  health,  as  I  had  to  tell  you  the  truth. 
I  am  pleased  to  send  a  more  favorable  report  today. 
My  digestion  has  been  good  this  week,  causing  but 
little  gas,  and  of  course  my  nerves  must  be  stronger 
to  produce  the  digestion.  In  fact,  if  it  were  not  for 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    227 

the  dropsy  I  would  feel  myself  on  the  road  to  re- 
covery, and  from  what  the  Doctor  says,  I  am  on  the 
road  to  recovery  when  my  general  health  improves, 
—but  it  is  all  in  the  will  of  the  Lord.  I  got  a  letter 
from  George  Williams  this  morning;  he  says  he  is 
clear  I  will  recover.  I  think  him  a  good  man,  but 
don't  know  just  how  confidential  his  relations  may  be 
with  the  Lord.  We  have  decided  to  return  home  next 
week.  The  weather  has  been  favorable  this  week, 
not  hot,  but  wet  and  warm,  so  that  we  can  have  the 
house  open.  I  dread  the  return  of  the  hot  weather. 
Heretofore  I  have  always  begun  to  improve  the  first 
of  March,  and  hope  it  may  be  so  again.  We  have 
engaged  a  drawing  room  which  will  give  us  privacy. 
I  was  afraid  I  couldn't  dress  and  undress  in  a  berth. 
We  start  Thursday,  the  twenty-third,  at  10:45  A.  M. 
We  will  reach  Mattoon  on  Saturday  at  6:25  A.  M. 
and  will  get  home  on  the  8  o'clock  train  if  all  goes 
well.  Should  we  miss  our  train  at  New  Orleans  we 
will  wire  you. 

Your  affectionate  father  and  mother, 

S.  R.  and  R.  L.  HARSHMAN. 

He  was  very  much  swollen  with  dropsy  upon  his 
arrival  at  home  from  this  trip,  so  much  so  that  he 
could  not  walk  any  distance  and  get  his  breath.  Two 
of  his  sons  met  the  returning  party  at  Mattoon  and 
carried  him  in  a  chair  from  the  parlor  car  to  the  bag- 
gage car  of  the  train  for  Sullivan,  and  he  rode  from 
Mattoon  to  Sullivan  in  the  baggage  car.  He  was  very 
much  relieved  to  get  back  home,  as  the  strain  of  the 
trip  was  almost  more  than  he  could  stand.  Indeed, 
he  said  he  did  not  know  when  he  started  whether  he 
would  get  home  alive  or  not.  But  he  began  to  get 


228    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

better  from  the  day  he  arrived  at  home,  and  in  a 
few  weeks  the  swelling  from  dropsy  had  all  been  re- 
duced and  he  was  able  to  get  around  again.  He  en- 
joyed moderately  good  health  through  the  summer, 
and  preached,  from  his  chair,  almost  every  Sunday, 
though  he  was  never  again  able  to  stand  and  deliver 
a  sermon. 

In  the  latter  part  of  October  of  this  year,  1911,  he 
had  an  attack  in  the  nature  of  a  fainting  spell.  He 
started  upstairs  and  was  stricken  so  that  he  could 
not  see,  and  almost  fell,  but  was  able,  with  assistance 
to  get  to  a  couch  and  lie  down.  He  became  very  pale 
but  recovered  in  a  little  while.  The  Doctors,  when 
they  had  examined  him  had  always  told  him  that  his 
heart  was  in  good  condition  and  there  was  no  organic 
trouble  in  this  organ.  That  the  affection  of  it  was 
entirely  sympathetic.  As  this  fainting  spell  indicated 
the  presence  of  heart  trouble  he  concluded  the  fight 
was  a  losing  one,  and  expressed  himself  as  not  wanting 
to  live  if  his  heart  was  affected.  He  was  able  to  get 
about  for  a  few  weeks  longer,  though  he  gradually 
became  weaker  and  the  dropsical  condition  again  re- 
turned. About  December  10th  he  decided  to  conserve 
his  strength  by  staying  in  bed,  and  though  he  may  not 
have  expected  to  get  up  again,  he  was  optimistic,  and 
made  a  hard  fight  against  the  encroaching  enemy.  He 
could  take  but  little  nourishment  as  it  was  not  prop- 
erly digested  and  caused  him  much  distress,  affecting 
his  nerves  and  heart  action.  As  soon  as  he  became 
bedfast  his  children  took  turn  with  their  mother,  at 
nursing  him,  and  their  care  was  to  him  a  comfort  in 
his  suffering.  He  always  took  much  delight  in  the 
companionship  of  his  children.  While  he  had  no 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    229 

worldly  ambitions  for  them,  he  was  always  familiar 
with,  and  interested  in  all  their  undertakings,  and 
pleased  with  their  success.  When  much  depressed  in 
spirit  from  his  suffering  (his  nervous  trouble  tended 
to  produce  melancholia)  it  always  cheered  him  to  have 
one  of  his  children  stop  in  and  discuss  with  him  his 
business  and  the  events  of  the  day.  While,  as  we 
say,  he  often  felt  depressed,  he  would  almost  in- 
variably talk  of  favorable  symptoms  and  attempt  to 
relieve  the  inquirer's  anxiety.  He  had  a  very  keen 
sense  of  humor,  and  enjoyed  exceedingly  a  good  story 
or  anecdote.  This  sense  of  humor  he  had  to  the  last, 
and  as  long  as  he  was  able  to  talk,  he  would  joke 
about  his  condition  and  the  things  happening  about 
him.  Toward  the  last,  aside  from  his  suffering  from 
his  wrought-up  nerves,  he  suffered  excruciating  pain 
from  his  mouth,  his  mouth  and  tongue  being  en- 
tirely raw.  Neither  did  his  inveterate  enemy,  the 
Tempter,  abandon  his  assaults  at  the  last.  In  the 
long,  dreary  hours  of  the  night,  with  nerves  wrought 
up  almost  to  the  breaking  point,  in  anguish  from 
misery  from  his  sore  mouth  so  he  was  almost  un- 
able to  speak,  the  Tempter  would  tell  him  that  the 
Lord  dicj  not  love  him  or  He  would  not  permit  him 
to  so  suffer.  When  his  nerves  relaxed  and  he  could 
rest,  he  told  us  of  his  sore  temptations,  and  how  he 
never  wanted  to  doubt  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  to 
him.  He  had  absolutely  no  fear  of  death  itself.  He 
desired  to  live  for  the  sake  of  his  family  and  the 
Church,  but  when  he  felt  the  chance  of  recovery  was 
gone,  he  was  anxious  for  the  end  and  release  from 
his  suffering.  His  great  mind  was  as  keen  as  ever 
up  to  within  a  few  moments  of  his  death  and  he 


230    LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

watched  his  symptoms  closely.  Only  a  few  hours  be- 
fore his  death,  as  he  felt  the  end  approaching,  he 
asked  if  his  face  yet  showed  an  ashen  appearance. 
When  the  family  was  at  one  time  all  gathered  about 
him,  he  exhorted  us  to  be  true  to  our  faith,  and  said, 
"  You  children  must  all  stand  together,  for  the  Devil 
hates  you."  At  another  time  he  quoted  almost  in 
its  entirety  that  beautiful  hymn  of  Chas.  Wesley's: 

Thou  hidden  source  of  calm  repose 
Thou  all  sufficient  love  divine; 
My  help  and  refuge  from  my  foes, 
Secure  I  am  while  Thou  art  mine. 
And  lo,  from  sin  and  grief  and  shame 
I  hide  me  Jesus  in  Thy  name. 

Thy  mighty  name  Salvation  is 

And  keeps  my  happy  soul  above. 

Comfort  it  brings  and  power  and  peace, 

And  joy  and  everlasting  love. 

To  me  with  Thy  great  name  is  given 

Pardon  and  holiness  and  heaven. 

Jesus,  my  all  in  all  Thou  art; 
My  rest  in  toil,  my  ease  in  pain: 
The  med'cine  for  my  broken  heart: 
In  war  my  peace;  in  loss  my  gain; 
My    smile    beneath    the    tyrant's    frown; 
In   shame,  my  glory  and  my  crown. 

In  want,  my  plentiful  supply: 
In  weakness,   my  almighty  power: 
In  bonds,  my  perfect  liberty; 
My  light  in  Satan's  darkest  hour; 
In   grief,   my  joy  unspeakable, 
My  life  in  death,  my  all  in  all. 


He  often  quoted  portions  of  Scripture,  indicating 
his  assurance  of  victory.  Brought  to  mind  partic- 
ularly are  those  memorable  words  of  the  Great  Apos- 
tle, "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.    231 

course,  I  have  kept  the  faith."  A  little  after  one 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  January  9,  1912,  he 
lapsed  into  unconsciousness,  and  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore two  o'clock  his  Spirit  took  its  flight  to  that 
shore  which  he  had  often  viewed  in  anticipation, 
''  To  Canaan's  fair  and  happy  land,  where  my  pos- 
sessions lie." 

On  November  30,  1911,  he  had  attained  to  the 
age  apportioned  to  man  of  "  threescore  years  and 
ten,"  and  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  seventy  years, 
one  month  and  nine  days  old.  The  funeral  services 
were  held  from  his  late  residence,  Thursday,  January 
11,  1912,  being  in  charge  of  L.  T.  Hagerman  and 
A.  P.  Powers.  His  body  was  laid  to  rest  during  a 
blinding  snowstorm,  in  Greenhill  cemetery  at  Sul- 
livan, by  the  side  of  his  wife,  Nannie. 

He  was  a  man  of  unconquerable  spirit,  and  looked 
upon  death  as  a  merciless  enemy.  He  battled  against 
his  encroachments  for  the  last  few  years  of  his  life, 
fighting  a  losing  battle  with  cheerfulness  and  a  gal- 
lant spirit.  When  defeat  became  inevitable  he  looked 
Death  unflinchingly  in  the  face,  as  courageous  in 
apparent  defeat  as  in  victory.  "  Soothed  and  sus- 
tained by  an  unfaltering  trust,  he  wrapped  the  dra- 
pery of  his  couch  about  him,  and  lay  down  to  pleasant 
dreams."  "  O  Grave,  where  is  thy  victory :  O  Death, 
where  is  thy  sting?  " 

"  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord 
from  henceforth :  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rest  from  their  labors;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them." 


GOD'S   MEANS   OF   SALVATION. 

For  after  that,  in  the  wisdom  of  God,  the  world  by  wisdom 
knew  not  God,  it  has  pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of 
preaching  to  save  them  that  believe. — i  Cor.  i  :2i. 

Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  entereth  not  by  the 
door  into  the  sheep  fold,  but  climbeth  up  some  other 
way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber. — John  10:1. 

Man  is  naturally  averse  to  simplicity.  He  loves 
and  admires  the  spectacular,  of  which  he  longs  to  be 
a  conspicuous  part.  This  is  owing  to  ignorance  of 
his  real  spiritual  condition.  If  he  were  conscious 
of  his  spiritual  rags  and  nakedness,  he  would  shrink 
from  publicity  and  seek  seclusion  and  concealment. 
His  foolish  love  of  parading  himself  is  pitiable  to  those 
who  have  discernment.  Naaman,  the  Syrian  leper, 
was  foolish  but  he  was  natural.  Though  suffering 
from  an  incurable  and  loathsome  disease  he  could  not 
control  his  desire  to  occupy  the  center  of  the  stage. 
Informed  by  a  captive  Jewish  maiden  of  the  prophet 
of  Israel  and  his  ability  to  heal  him,  he  was  not  con- 
tent to  go  as  a  humble  suppliant  as  became  his  condi- 
tion, but  with  pomp  and  state  he  approached  the 
prophet  as  though  about  to  confer  a  favor  rather 
than  beg  one.  When  told  simply  to  dip  seven  times 
in  Jordan  and  be  clean  from  his  leprosy,  he  was 
offended  and  felt  insulted.  It  seemed  to  him  like 
the  play  with  the  principal  character  left  out.  Where 
was  he  to  get  any  glory  or  notoriety  out  of  such  a 
simple  performance  as  that?  Where  was  there  any 

233 


234      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

recognition  of  his  importance  as  a  great  Syrian  gen- 
eral? Fortunately  for  him,  his  servant  had  more 
sense  of  the  fitness  of  things  than  his  master  had,  and 
his  protest  called  him  to  a  sounder  way  of  thinking. 
So  God's  way  is  too  simple  for  vain  foolish  man.  He 
is  not  content  to  enter  in  by  the  door  into  the  sheep- 
fold,  the  simple  natural  procedure,  but  must  needs 
climb  up  some  other  way  and  rob  Christ  of  His  glory 
that  he  may  flatter  his  own  pride  and  vanity.  Nearly 
all  the  effort  of  philosophy  and  metaphysical  specu- 
lation is  directed  toward  finding  some  other  way  to 
God  than  the  one  way  provided  by  Him.  The  sinner, 
vile  and  loathsome  as  he  is,  must  needs  parade  himself, 
though  he  is  an  offense  to  God  and  all  pure  beings. 
The  speculative  thought  of  our  present  day  as  ex- 
emplified in  our  universities  and  elsewhere  is  largely 
pantheistic,  and  the  religious  thought  of  the  times  is 
strongly  impregnated  with  the  same  views.  "  Christian 
Science,"  if  not  atheistic  is  pantheistic,  though  prac- 
tically, pantheism  is  atheism.  The  doctrine  of  the 
fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  so 
popular  at  the  present  time  is  an  offshoot  of  pantheism, 
though  many  who  use  the  phrase  are  not  aware  of  it. 
Pantheism  denies  the  existence  of  moral  evil  or  sin  in 
the  universe.  It  denies  the  existence  of  a  God  ex- 
ternal to  nature  and  above  nature,  but  recognizes  a 
spirit  in  nature  which  it  calls  God  but  does  not  define 
Him,  and  this  God  is  in  fact  a  mere  abstraction. 
"  Pan "  means  "  all "  and  pantheism  teaches  that 
everything  is  God  and  that  man  is  the  highest  known 
expression  of  God.  It  deifies  man.  Pope's  celebrated 
lines  express  the  teachings  of  pantheism. 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      235 

"  All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole, 
Whose  body  nature  is,  and  God  the  soul." 

Yet  these  transcendental  teachers,  like  Emerson, 
profess  to  come  in  to  unity  with,  or  experience  of,  this 
Divine  abstraction,  this  "  Over-soul  "  of  the  world. 
That  is,  they  profess  by  their  wisdom  to  have  found 
out  God,  and  to  have  become  acquainted  with  Him 
by  inward  contemplation.  They  claim  to  have  found 
a  way  of  approach  to  God  which  makes  Christ  un- 
necessary and  superfluous.  Jesus  says,  "  No  man 
cometh  to  the  Father  but  by  me."  We  have  here  then 
a  question  of  veracity  between  the  mystical  philos- 
ophers and  the  Lord  Jesus.  They  say  they  have  done 
what  He  says  they  cannot  do.  The  Christian  believer 
cannot  hesitate  in  his  decision  on  this  controversy. 
Their  supposed  discovery  is  a  delusion.  If  this  is  the 
only  way  in  which  we  can  arrive  at  an  acquaintance 
with  God,  the  great  mass  of  humanity  is  doomed  to 
hopeless,  irremediable  ignorance  of  God !  and  as  knowl- 
edge of  God  is  essential  to  eternal  life,  as  Jesus  says 
it  is,  the  masses  are  doomed  to  eternal  death.  For 
Jesus  says,  "  This  is  eternal  life  to  know  Thee,  the 
only  true  God  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  Thou  hast 
sent."  The  masses  are  doomed,  since  it  is  claimed 
that  a  high  degree  of  culture  and  sublimation  of  soul 
is  necessary  to  enable  one  thus  to  find  God  in  nature. 
This,  the  masses  never  can  attain  to.  And  if  they 
could,  what  practical  good  would  such  a  knowledge 
of  God  do  them?  Yet  we  have  this  same  nonsense 
taught,  not  only  in  our  universities,  but  in  our  public 
schools ;  by  tyro  transcendentalists,  admirers  of  Ralph 
Waldo  Emerson  and  his  ethical  teaching.  It  is  gen- 
uine atheism  and  a  denial  of  the  only  true  God  and  of 


236      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

His  Son,  Jesus  Christ.  The  world,  by  its  wisdom, 
has  never  found  out  God,  and  never  will.  Christ  is 
the  only  way  to  God,  the  only  door  of  the  sheep. 
Those  who  teach  some  other  way  are  bent  on  mis- 
chief and  would  rob  men  of  the  things  most  valuable 
to  them. 

It  is  not  an  oversight  that  man  by  his  own  wisdom 
is  not  able  to  discover  God,  but  by  design.  It  is  so 
determined  in  the  wisdom  of  God.  It  is  "  in  the 
wisdom  of  God  "  that  "  the  world  by  wisdom  knows 
not  God."  God  had  more  respect  to  the  needs  of 
humanity  than  the  philosophers  have,  much  as  they 
boast  of  their  humanitarianism.  He  cares  for  the 
masses,  the  poor,  the  ignorant,  the  lowly.  He  has 
devised  a  scheme  which  reaches  down  to  the  lowest 
and  meets  their  needs  and  provides  salvation  for  them ; 
which  lifts  them  up  out  of  darkness  and  makes  them 
meet  companions  for  angels  and  brings  them  into 
harmony  and  fellowship  with  the  infinite  God.  Which 
makes  them  really  God's  children,  partakers  of  His 
holiness.  And  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  purpose 
of  divine  benevolence,  He  has  provided  agencies  the 
most  unique  and  yet  the  most  simple;  such  as  human 
wisdom  would  never  have  thought  of,  and  which 
human  wisdom  pronounces  foolishness.  For  "  It  has 
pleased  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to  save 
them  that  believe."  No  doubt,  God  sees  such  instru- 
mentalities to  be  the  most  effective  of  any  that  could 
be  used  or  He  would  not  have  chosen  them.  We 
would  naturally  suppose  at  first  thought  that  in  the 
work  of  lifting  up  fallen  humanity  to  a  higher  spiritual 
plane,  God  would  make  use  of  agents  from  that 
spiritual  world  in  this  great  work.  Angels  and  Arch- 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      237 

angels  would  be  willing  laborers  in  this  vineyard  of 
the  Lord.  But  God  has  not  seen  fit  to  use  these 
pure  and  perfect  beings  as  ambassadors,  bearing  mes- 
sages of  mercy  and  hope  to  lost  men,  but  He  has 
elected  to  use  men  of  like  passions  with  those  to 
whom  they  are  sent;  men  compassed  with  infirmities; 
liable  to  mistakes ;  earthen  vessels ;  that  the  excellency 
of  the  power  may  be  of  God  and  not  of  men.  That 
God  should  have  left  this  stupendous  work  of  saving 
a  lost  race  to  fallible  man,  is  a  most  astonishing  fact. 
Because  it  has  become  commonplace  to  us,  we  do  not 
rightly  appreciate  it.  And  if  it  were  not  that  He 
has  sent  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  efficient  Agent  in  the 
work,  it  would  be  incredible.  It  is  only  as  He  works 
through  these  human  instruments,  anything  good  can 
be  accomplished.  In  order  to  raise  the  fallen,  it  is 
necessary  to  get  them  near  to  God  Himself.  That  He 
might  gain  the  confidence  of  lost  men,  He  became 
incarnate,  a  partaker  of  flesh  and  blood.  We  needed 
a  Savior  who  appealed  to  humanity  because  of  having 
experiences  in  common  with  it.  The  further  we  are 
above  those  who  need  help,  the  more  difficult  it  is 
for  them  to  have  confidence  in  our  sympathy  and  our 
understanding  of  their  needs.  The  more  we  have 
in  common  with  them,  the  nearer  we  seem  to  them, 
and  the  more  readily  they  listen  to  us  and  the  more 
willing  are  they  to  accept  help  from  us.  Perfect  in- 
telligences like  angels  seem  at  first  view  much  more 
competent  messengers  of  love  and  mercy  to  lost  men 
than  imperfect  fallible  man  can  be;  but  they  are 
too  far  removed  from  them  to  have  the  best  success 
in  such  a  work.  Consequently,  God  has  entrusted 
to  the  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  to  fallible  men. 


238      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

Not  only  can  they  tell  men  of  the  power  of  Christ  to 
save,  but  at  the  same  time  they  can  furnish  living 
examples  of  that  power.  They  get  nearer  to  sinners 
because  they  have  been  sinners  themselves.  They 
can,  with  confidence,  declare  the  power  and  willingness 
of  Christ  to  save  others  because  He  has  saved  them. 
They  know  by  experience  what  they  preach  as  the 
truth.  This,  an  angel  could  not  know.  But  though 
men  because  of  their  humanity  are  best  fitted  for 
successful  preachers  of  the  gospel,  if  left  to  them- 
selves they  would  utterly  fail.  Though  human  and 
fallible  instruments  are  used  in  gospel  work,  they 
must  be  under  the  direction  and  control  of  an  in- 
fallible Agent,  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  Jesus  would  not 
send  forth  the  apostles  to  preach  the  everlasting  gospel 
until  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  They  were  totally 
unfitted  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  until  they 
had  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  men  now  are  just 
as  much  unfitted  as  they  were  then,  until  they  receive 
this  baptism.  No  amount  of  learning  or  training  can 
take  the  place  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  great  work  of 
preaching  the  gospel.  Other  things  being  equal,  that 
man  is  best  equipped  for  gospel  work  who  is  most 
fully  under  the  teaching,  guidance  and  inspiration  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Without  this  Spirit,  learning  is 
sounding  brass,  and  eloquence  is  tinkling  cymbal,  ut- 
terly impotent  to  do  anything  for  the  salvation  of 
lost  man.  To  suppose  that  the  apostles  who  for  three 
years  had  been  with  Christ  and  listened  to  His  teaching 
had  more  need  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  fit  them  for 
gospel  preaching  than  men  have  now,  is  extremely 
absurd.  It  takes  just  the  qualifications  now  as  then 
to  equip  a  man  to  preach  the  gospel.  The  apostle  Paul 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      239 

is  emphatic  in  claiming  that  he  received  his  gospel 
direct  from  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  in  a  sense,  so  must 
any  man  who  successfully  preaches  it.  He  may  re- 
ceive instruction  through  human  instrumentality  but 
can  get  an  understanding  of  the  truth  only  from  the 
teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  One  generation  can 
not  hand  down  the  truth  to  another,  since  each  gen- 
eration must  get  its  truth  from  the  same  source.  God 
alone  can  teach  us  the  truth.  We  may  perpetuate  the 
form  of  sound  words,  but  this  will  do  little  good, 
and  no  good  only  as  men  who  hear  or  read  have  the 
interpretation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Hence  we  can  do 
little  for  future  ages.  We  can  but  serve  the  present 
age.  This  explains  why  a  real  reformation  or  work  of 
God  so  soon  languishes  and  dies  out.  Men  lose  out 
of  it  the  Holy  Spirit  who  alone  gives  it  vitality  and 
virility.  Each  generation  must  furnish  its  own 
prophets,  its  own  reformers.  Each  age  is  occupied 
in  persecuting  its  own  prophets  and  in  building  and 
garnishing  the  sepulchers  of  the  prophets  of  former 
ages.  What  a  satire  upon  human  hypocrisy.  No,  we 
cannot  inherit  the  truth  from  our  ancestors,  nor  hand 
it  down  to  our  posterity.  We  may  entail  our  wealth 
upon  our  descendants  and  keep  it  in  the  family,  so 
that  our  children  may  begin  life  where  we  left  off, 
but  in  spiritual  things  they  must  begin  where  we 
began.  They  must  learn  the  truth  where  we  learned 
it.  The  same  means  are  necessary  to  save  them  that 
were  necessary  to  save  us.  If  this  were  not  so,  man- 
kind might  gradually  be  evolved  into  a  heavenly  state, 
and  sin  be  eliminated  by  natural  generation.  It  may  be 
a  sad  thought,  but  it  is  in  harmony  with  the  facts 
in  the  case  that  we  must  all  begin  at  the  foot  of  the 


240      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

ladder  of  spiritual  progress;  each  must  for  himself 
climb  the  hill  of  Zion.  It  takes  just  the  same  to  save 
sinners  now  as  it  did  two  thousand  years  ago,  and 
the  appointed  means  to  that  end  have  not  been  changed. 
Still  it  pleases  God  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching 
to  save  them  that  believe.  We  are  not  to  understand 
from  this  language  that  preaching  is  really  foolishness, 
but  that  it  is  such  only  in  the  estimation  of  worldly- 
wise  men.  The  preaching  of  a  crucified  Christ  is 
to  the  Jews  a  stumbling  block,  and  to  the  Greeks  fool- 
ishness. In  this  classification,  the  Greeks  include  all 
those  who  are  not  Jews.  To  the  Jews  the  gospel  was 
too  serious  a  matter  to  be  considered  foolishness,  but 
to  the  pagan  Greeks,  it  seemed  a  matter  unworthy 
of  notice.  It  seems  the  same  to  their  successors 
today.  They  can  see  no  good,  no  utility,  in  gospel 
preaching.  Just  in  proportion  as  men  are  wise  in 
worldly  things,  do  they  despise  the  simple  gospel. 
To  such,  it  is  antiquated  and  behind  the  times.  In 
their  estimation,  we  need  something  more  up-to-date, 
more  modern ;  a  gospel  that  has  to  do  with  present 
human  interests  and  economic  questions  of  the  times, 
rather  than  with  the  interests  of  a  future  state  of 
existence.  They  esteem  it  a  weakness  to  be  so  much 
concerned  with  one's  own  personal  salvation,  that  it 
is  a  narrow  and  selfish  thing  to  be  engrossed  with  the 
preparation  for  a  heavenly  state.  This  demand  for 
a  modern  gospel  is  met  by  the  popular  preacher  who 
deals  with  economic  problems  in  the  pulpit  and  with 
moral  and  political  reform  to  the  exclusion  of  Christ 
crucified.  As  a  result  of  such  betrayal  of  their  trust, 
the  masses  have  forsaken  their  ministrations  and  left 
them  with  empty  pews  to  face  a  faithless  pulpit. 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      241 

Preaching  is  despised,  and  the  shorter  the  sermon,  the 
more  acceptable  it  is  to  modern  hearers.  The  people 
do  not  want  a  real  gospel,  and  they  soon  tire  of  a 
sham  gospel.  They  exemplify  Christ's  parable.  They 
are  like  children  sitting  in  the  market  and  saying  unto 
their  fellows,  "  We  have  piped  to  you,  and  ye  have 
not  danced,  we  have  mourned  unto  you,  and  ye  have 
not  lamented."  But  though  a  false  gospel  is  a  failure 
in  the  way  of  doing  men  good,  yet  the  preaching  of 
the  gospel  is  still  God's  'appointed  means  of  saving 
men  from  sin  and  wrath.  Other  means  than  preaching 
may  be  used  to  that  end,  but  there  is  no  promise  that 
they  will  be  so  used.  No  other  instrumentality  than 
that  of  men  will  be  used.  The  Lord  Jesus,  when 
He  arrested  Saul  of  Tarsus  in  his  mad  career,  when 
asked  by  Saul  what  He  would  have  him  do,  would 
not  give  him  the  desired  information.  He  would 
not  preach  the  gospel  to  Saul,  but  sent  him  to  Annanias, 
or  Annanias  to  him,  to  tell  him  what  he  should  do. 
The  Lord  has  absolutely  committed  the  work  of 
preaching  to  men  and  to  them  alone.  When  Cor- 
nelius, the  Roman  Centurion,  was  earnestly  seeking 
light  from  God,  the  Lord  sent  an  angel  to  tell  him 
where  to  find  Peter,  a  preacher  of  the  gospel,  but 
the  angel  was  not  permitted  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
him.  That  work  has  been  committed  to  men  only. 
In  order  to  preach  the  gospel,  men  must  know  the 
gospel.  Gospel  ministers  must  "  speak  that  they  do 
know."  The  apostles  and  early  evangelists  had  been 
under  Christ's  tutelage  for  three  years,  but  yet  they 
did  not  know  the  truth.  Jesus  said  to  His  disciples, 
"  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then  are  ye  my  disciples 
indeed;  and  ye  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth 


242      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

shall  make  you  free."  They  did  not,  then,  know  it 
as  yet.  If  they  had  not  learned  the  truth  after  a 
three  years'  course  in  Christ's  school,  men  can  scarcely 
hope  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  it  by  a  course  in  a  theo- 
logical seminary.  For  this  purpose,  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  given,  that  they  and  we  might  learn  the  truth. 
Jesus  said  "  He  (the  Holy  Spirit)  shall  teach  you  all 
things  and  bring  all  things  to  your  remembrance 
whatsoever  I  have  said  unto  you."  "  He  shall  guide 
you  into  all  truth."  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  efficient 
Agent  in  all  true  gospel  preaching,  man  is  but  the 
instrument  used.  To  awaken,  enlighten,  convince  and 
persuade  men,  is  the  work  of  God,  and  nothing  short 
of  divine  power  can  do  these  things.  God  uses  man 
as  His  mouthpiece;  He  speaks  through  him;  but  God 
must  speak  to  us  or  we  will  remain  dead  in  trespasses 
and  sins.  The  apostle  Paul  represents  gospel  preachers 
as  ambassadors  for  Christ,  representing  Him  and 
speaking  for  Him.  Says  he  "  As  though  God  did  be- 
seech you  by  us,  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye 
reconciled  to  God."  An  ambassador  must  be  inde- 
pendent of  the  power  or  people  to  whom  he  is  sent 
to  insure  his  fidelity  to  the  power  that  sends  him. 
If  it  is  necessary  for  him  to  please  those  to  whom  he 
is  sent,  he  cannot  at  the  same  time  faithfully  represent 
Him  who  sends  him,  for  their  several  interests  may 
be  diverse.  Says  the  same  apostle  again,  "  If  I  yet 
please  men,  I  should  not  be  the  servant  of  Christ." 
For  this  reason,  God's  ministers  are  made  indepen- 
dent of  those  to  whom  they  are  sent.  God  says  to 
them,  "  Be  not  servants  of  men."  Though  God  had 
ordained  that  they  who  preach  the  gospel  shall  live  of 
the  gospel,  it  is  the  Lord's  business  to  see  that  this  plan 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      243 

is  carried  out.  And  while  it  is  woe  to  the  man  whom 
God  sends  if  he  preach  not  the  gospel,  it  is  equal 
woe  to  the  man  who  receives  the  gospel  if  he  does 
not  do  his  part  in  supporting  it.  We  hear  a  great 
deal  now-a-days  about  a  free  gospel,  and  the  duty  of 
those  who  preach  it,  but  little  about  the  corresponding 
duty  of  those  who  hear  it.  They  are  very  insistent 
that  Christ's  ministers  must  preach  at  all  hazzards 
and  at  any  sacrifice  of  ease  and  earthly  good,  but 
are  not  willing  to  make  any  such  sacrifice  in  sup- 
porting the  gospel.  Like  the  Jewish  lawyers  of  old 
they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  lay  them  on  other  men's 
shoulders  but  are  unwilling  to  lift  a  finger's  weight 
themselves.  How  easy  it  is  to  see  another  man's 
duty.  God  had  not  put  the  burden  of  preaching  the 
gospel  on  just  a  few  men  that  the  remainder  should 
go  free,  and  He  will  even  things  up  after  while.  He 
has  not  called  one  man  to  a  life  of  toil  and  poverty 
and  self-sacrifice  that  others  might  be  eased  and  left 
free  to  buy  and  sell  and  get  gains;  to  add  farm  to 
farm  and  dollar  to  dollar,  with  a  little  pittance  squeezed 
out  occasionally  for  the  support  of  His  gospel.  Those 
who  imagine  this  to  be  true  are  deceiving  themselves. 
Peter  declares  that  the  gospel  was  first  preached  "  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven."  So  it  must 
still  be  preached  to  be  effectual.  In  fact,  without  the 
influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  attending  the  preaching, 
it  is  not  the  gospel,  but  merely  the  shell  of  the  gospel 
without  the  meat.  The  gospel  is  the  power  of  God; 
without  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is  merely  the  power  of 
man.  No  one  is  authorized  to  preach  it  unless  com- 
missioned of  God,  for  "  how  shall  they  preach,  except 
they  be  sent  ?  "  God  will  send  no  man  until  He  had 


244      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

qualified  him  for  the  work;  no  more  will  He  do  so 
now  than  in  the  case  of  the  first  gospel  preachers. 
Thus  equipped,  he  has  the  promise  of  God's  help  and 
protection.  He  says  to  all  such,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you 
always."  Of  all  God  sends,  He  will  make  their  great 
commission  known.  They  will  need  no  commendation 
from  men,  but  through  the  power  of  God  they  will 
commend  themselves  to  every  man's  conscience  in  the 
sight  of  God.  They  bring  messages  from  God  to 
man  and  are  responsible  to  Him  for  their  delivery. 
The  Christian  ministry  is  not  a  profession,  but  a 
calling,  a  divine  calling.  No  man  represents  God  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry  except  he  be  commissioned 
orf  God.  Only  such  have  the  divine  approval  and  the 
divine  commendation;  only  such  preachers  can  be 
successful  in  soul  saving.  Without  a  divine  call  and 
a  divine  commission,  men  may  be  popular,  renowned 
and  brilliant  preachers,  high  in  the  esteem  of  their 
fellow-men,  but  God  does  not  recognize  them  nor 
work  through  them.  No  doubt  men  are  called  to  the 
work  of  the  ministery  who  are  never  sent  because 
never  qualified.  To  those  whom  He  calls  and  sends 
out,  Jesus  says,  "  he  that  heareth  you,  heareth  me." 
"  Whomsoever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth,  shall  be  bound  in 
heaven ;  and  whomsoever  ye  shall  loose  on  earth,  shall 
be  loosed  in  heaven."  The  great  work  of  saving  men 
is  committed  to  their  hands,  for  the  gospel  they  preach 
is  God's  chosen  instrumentality  to  that  end.  Under 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  there  must  be  a 
measure  of  infallibility  in  their  teaching.  It  is  a 
mooted  question  among  the  Papists  as  to  where  the 
infallibility  of  the  church  is  lodged.  It  is  recognized 
as  a  necessity  that  it  should  reside  somewhere.  They 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      245 

think  it  resides  in  the  pope  or  a  general  council,  or 
in  both  combined.  Protestants  have  generally  given 
up  the  idea  or  doctrine  of  an  infallible  church,  and 
hold  only  to  an  infallible  bible.  But  God's  ambassadors 
must  be  infallible  teachers  in-so-far  as  that  truth  which 
is  essential  to  salvation  is  concerned,  or  it  will  not  be 
true  that  he  who  heareth  them,  heareth  Christ.  This 
infallibility  is  secured  by  the  teaching  and  guidance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  Jesus  promised  to  them. 
They  must  have  the  inspiration  of  the  same  Spirit 
that  inspired  the  holy  scriptures.  Without  this  all  will 
be  doubt  and  uncertainty.  The  infallibility  of  the 
church  and  of  God's  ministers  is  secured  by  their 
being  under  the  inspiration  and  guidance  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  This  inspiration  is  felt  and  recognized  by 
those  who  hear  them.  The  Shepherd's  voice  is  dis- 
cerned when  they  speak.  When  we  do  not  recognize 
that  voice,  we  are  to  flee  from  such  a  teacher;  it 
is  the  voice  of  a  stranger.  Jesus  says,  "  My  sheep 
hear  My  voice  and  they  follow  Me;  but  a  stranger 
they  will  not  follow  for  they  know  not  the  voice  of 
a  stranger."  Jesus  spoke  with  authority  and  so  do 
those  whom  Jesus  sends.  He  makes  their  great  com- 
mission known.  "  Blessed  are  the  people  that  hear 
the  joyful  sound;  they  shall  walk,  O  Lord,  in  the 
light  of  Thy  countenance." 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  ST.  PAUL. 

One  of  the  greatest  factors  in  the  spread  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era  was 
the  labors  of  the  Apostle  Paul.  Though  it  is  idle  to 
conjecture  what  might  have  been,  yet  to  us  at  the 
present  time,  it  seems  that  the  whole  trend  of  events, 
so  far  as  the  gospel  is  concerned,  would  have  been 
changed  without  his  evangelism.  No  other  man,  no 
not  all  the  other  apostles  combined,  had  so  much  to 
do  in  establishing  the  Christian  system  upon  a  sound 
and  firm  basis.  He  was  much  more  to  the  founding 
of  Christianity  than  Philip  Melancthon  was  to  the 
Reformation,  since  he  was  not  only  the  profound 
theologian,  but  also  the  active,  successful,  indefatiga- 
ble evangelist.  His  burning  zeal  found  no  parallel 
among  the  other  primitive  laborers.  All  the  powers 
of  his  extraordinary  intellect  were  exerted  to  the 
utmost  in  the  work  of  saving  sinners  and  of  upbuilding 
the  church  in  Holiness.  To  him  we  are  indebted  for 
the  arranging  and  systematizing  of  the  principles  and 
doctrines  of  the  gospel.  So  greatly  is  Christianity 
indebted  to  his  labors  of  tongue  and  pen,  that  some 
skeptics  have  insinuated  that  he,  rather  than  Jesus, 
was  its  author.  Saul,  who  was  afterwards  called  Paul, 
probably  because  of  the  smallness  of  his  stature,  was 
born  in  Tarsus,  a  city  of  Cilicia,  which  was  made  a 
free  city  by  Augustus  Caesar  so  that  all  the  inhabitants 
became  Roman  citizens.  This  must  have  taken  place 
not  long  before  the  birth  of  the  future  apostle.  At 

246 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      247 

the  time  of  his  first  appearance  upon  the  stage  of 
history,  which  was  not  much  to  his  credit,  and  oc- 
curred at  the  death  of  Stephen,  he  could  not  have  been 
much  more  than  thirty  years  old,  so  that  he  was  born 
shortly  after  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era.  His 
parents  were  Jews  of  strictly  religious  stock  of  the 
tribe  of  Benjamin,  which  probably  accounts  for  his 
name,  Saul,  after  the  first  Israelitish  king,  who  was 
also  called  a  Benjamite.  They  were  pharisees  of  the 
strictest  sort  and  brought  up  their  son  in  the  same 
faith.  His  father  must  have  been  a  man  of  some 
wealth  since  he  was  able  to  give  his  son  a  finished  edu- 
cation according  to  the  standard  of  the  times.  He  was, 
no  doubt,  intended  for  a  Jewish  Rabbi  or  doctor  of  the 
law,  and  had  as  his  instructor,  Gamaliel,  the  most 
noted  doctor  of  his  day.  From  the  advice  he  gave 
to  his  fellow  religionists,  as  recorded  by  Luke,  he 
seems  to  have  been  a  man  of  judicial  temper,  sound 
judgment  and  good  common  sense.  His  disciple, 
however,  does  not  seem  to  have  approved  of  his  ad- 
vice, for  he  did  not  follow  it.  His  zeal  for  his  re- 
ligion would  not  permit  him  to  remain  a  quiet  spec- 
tator, awaiting  the  logic  of  events,  but  he  must  needs 
take  a  hand  himself  in  shaping  those  events.  You 
remember  the  advice  of  Gamaliel  concerning  the  Chris- 
tians was  to  "  refrain  from  these  men  and  let  them 
alone ;  if  this  work  or  device  be  of  men,  it  will  come 
to  naught ;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  ye  can  not  overthrow 
it  but  may  yourselves  be  found  fighting  against  God." 
This  wise,  do-nothing  policy  did  not  accord  with  the 
impulsive,  energetic  nature  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  he 
disregarded  it  and  took  the  first  opportunity  to  show 
his  colors  and  to  act  in  defence  of  his  principles. 


248      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

Stephen's  sermon,  with  its  caustic  indictment  of  Ju- 
daism, filled  him  with  indignation,  and  though  as  a 
young  rabbi  he  would  not  demean  himself  by  throwing 
stones,  he  was  ready  to  encourage  those  who  did  throw 
them  by  holding  their  garments  that  they  might  not  be 
impeded  in  their  good  work,  or  be  prevented  from 
doing  a  good  job.  So  Stephen,  the  Christian,  died 
while  Saul,  the  Pharisee,  raged.  The  face  of  the  one 
shone  like  that  of  an  angel,  while  the  other's  coun- 
tenance must  have  had  quite  a  different  aspect. 
Stephen  went  home  to  glory,  and  Saul  started  for 
Damascus  with  letters  of  authority  from  the  San- 
hedrim in  his  pocket  and  wrath  in  his  heart  to  per- 
secute the  saints,  put  them  in  prison,  or  even  deprive 
them  of  life  itself.  Not  being  content  to  harass  the 
Christians  in  Jerusalem  and  its  vicinity,  he  "  persecuted 
them  unto  strange  cities,  being  exceedingly  mad  against 
them,"  as  he  declares.  There  was  nothing  clandestine 
or  indirect  in  his  warfare  against  the  Christians ; 
such  tactics  were  foreign  to  his  nature;  he  was  an 
open  relentless  foe.  Everyone  knew  where  he  stood 
and  what  he  proposed  to  do.  He  breathed  out  threat- 
ening and  slaughter.  Having  done  what  harm  he 
could  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  and  having  gained 
a  reputation  for  cruelty  and  relentlessness  which  pre- 
ceded him,  he  obtained  authority  from  the  chief 
priests  to  go  to  foreign  parts  to  continue  the  same 
course  of  persecution,  and  started  for  Damascus,  the 
capital  of  Syria,  which  lay  to  the  north  of  Palestine. 
It  is  suggestive  of  the  high  estimation  in  which  his 
zeal  and  talents  were  held  by  the  Jewish  rulers  that 
so  much  authority  should  be  intrusted  to  so  young  a 
man.  His  superior  talents  were  recognized  and  used 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      249 

with  avidity  by  the  enemies  of  Christ.  When  we 
contemplate  Saul  of  Tarsus  at  this  period  of  his 
career,  full  of  pharisaical  self-righteousness,  without 
a  doubt  of  the  goodness  of  his  cause  and  the  righteous- 
ness of  his  course,  full  of  contempt  and  hatred  of  the 
gospel  and  its  votaries,  his  apparent  religious  duty 
harmonizing  with  his  worldly  preferment  and  success, 
he  looks  like  a  very  unlikely  candidate  for  conversion 
to  Christianity.  With  man  the  thing  looked  impossible, 
but  God  saw  differently.  In  the  divine  ken,  he  was 
a  chosen  vessel  of  grace. 

"  But  lo,  the  eternal  counsel  ran 
Almighty  love,  arrest  the  man." 

How  little  we  know  of  the  inner  workings  of  any 
human  soul  and  of  its  prospects  of  salvation.  Those 
whom  we  would  suppose  the  nearest  salvation  may 
be  the  farthest  away ;  and  those  whom  we  consider 
hopeless  cases  may  be  nearest  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 
The  Pharisees  looked  upon  the  publicans  and  harlots 
as  desperately  wicked,  as  no  doubt  they  were,  yet  they 
entered  the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  their  critics. 
Their  wickedness  did  not  commend  them  nor  give 
them  an  advantage,  but  the  contrary;  but  their  moral 
honesty  which  existed  in  spite  of  their  outrageous 
conduct  gave  them  great  advantage. 

So  Saul,  having  heard  Stephen's  preaching,  and  con- 
senting unto  his  violent  death,  and  full  of  dire  purpose 
of  destruction  to  Christians  and  their  heresy,  left 
Jerusalem  and  started  on  his  journey  toward  Da- 
mascus. The  thoughts  that  filled  his  mind,  we  can  only 
conjecture.  That  Stephen's  preaching  had  made  some 
impression  upon  his  mind  and  conscience,  we  cannot 
doubt,  since  he  was  an  honest,  though  misguided,  man. 


250      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

There  was  too  much  of  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
in  Stephen's  sermon  to  fail  to  affect  such  a  soul.  Be- 
sides, Saul  was  not  an  exception  to  the  rule  that  it 
is  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  that  God  saves 
them  that  believe.  How  little  did  Stephen  realize 
the  far-reaching  results  of  that  sermon.  It  was  success 
enough  for  the  labors  of  a  lifetime  to  be  instrumental 
in  the  salvation  of  such  a  man.  What  honor  has  the 
Lord  given  to  His  first  martyr.  But  these  results 
might  have  been  long  delayed,  had  not  extraordinary 
means  been  used  to  bring  matters  to  a  crisis,  the 
persecutor  to  a  decision.  The  readiness  and  prompt- 
ness with  which  the  decision  was  made  shows  the 
condition  of  a  mind  almost  persuaded.  As  the  agent 
of  the  sanhedrim  rode  along  with  the  attendants  who 
accompanied  him,  suddenly  an  intense  light  shone 
about  him,  producing  such  a  shock  that  he  fell  to  the 
ground  and  heard  a  voice  in  the  Hebrew  tongue 
saying,  "  Saul,  Saul,  why  persecutest  thou  me  ?  It 
is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  goads."  This 
language  of  Christ  proves  that  the  truth  which  Saul 
had  heard  was  goading  him  while  he  was  still  disposed 
to  resist  it,  but  with  painful  results  to  himself.  Con- 
viction then  had  resulted  from  Stephen's  preaching. 
The  truth  had  entered  his  soul  like  a  barbed  arrow 
and  he  could  not  shake  it  off.  His  question  was  very 
natural ;  "  Who  art  Thou  Lord  ?  "  The  reply  was,  "  I 
am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest."  At  once  the  culprit, 
caught  in  the  act,  begins  to  show  a  disposition  to  sur- 
render. Said  he,  "  Lord,  what  will  Thou  have  me 
to  do  ?  "  And  the  Lord  said  to  him,  "  Arise  and  go 
into  the  city,  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  shalt 
do."  This  was  an  astonishing  intervention  of  the 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      251 

Lord  in  behalf  of  Saul's  salvation.  There  are  two 
reasons  apparent  for  this  unusual  proceeding.  The 
first  reason  for  such  a  miraculous  intervention  is  the 
protection  of  the  church  from  such  fierce  persecution. 
Saul  must  be  stopped  or  the  destruction  of  gospel 
work  was  imminent.  Nothing  short  of  the  direct  inter- 
position of  God  seemed  adequate  to  accomplish  this 
result.  Then  again  Saul  ^was  intended  to  fill  the 
apostleship  made  vacant  by  the  fall  of  Judas.  It  is 
true  that  the  apostles  before  penticost,  had  under- 
taken this  work,  but  the  fact  that  Christ  chose  Saul 
for  an  apostle  proves  that  He  did  not  recognize  this 
apostolic  choice,  which  was  a  mistaken  usurpation  of 
Christ's  prerogative  to  choose  His  own  apostles.  Christ 
had  called  the  other  apostles  by  name,  and  in  order 
that  Saul  should  not  want  any  credentials  of  apostle- 
ship,  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  be  called  by  Christ 
directly.  So  he  was  called  as  one  born  out  of  due 
time,  as  he  himself  says.  For  some  reason  either 
natural  or  supernatural  his  eyesight  was  injured  so  that 
he  must  be  guided  by  others  during  the  remainder  of 
his  journey.  His  blindness  may  have  been  caused  by 
the  intense  light  that  shone  about  him,  though  those 
who  were  with  him  do  not  seem  to  have  been  similarly 
affected.  They  also  saw  the  light  though  it  may  not 
have  shone  upon  them  so  directly,  as  they  may  have 
been  at  a  small  distance  from  him.  This  is  made  more 
probable  by  the  fact  that,  though  they  heard  a  voice, 
they  did  not  distinguish  the  words  spoken.  Thus  in 
quite  a  different  manner  from  that  anticipated  by  him, 
Saul  of  Tarsus  made  his  entry  into  Damascus.  While 
under  the  immediate  influence  of  the  sudden  and  su- 
pernatural interruption  of  his  journey  he  seemed  to 


252      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

be  submissive  enough,  yet  his  proud  spirit  and  stubborn 
will  were  not  yet  broken.  Thus  often  under  the  sudden 
stress  of  grief  or  disaster  we  make  vows,  which 
afterward,  when  the  extraordinary  pressure  is  re- 
moved, we  find  it  difficult  to  pay.  The  exceptional 
interposition  of  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  case  of  Saul 
did  not  introduce  into  his  experience  any  factor  not 
found  in  the  experience  of  every  true  believer.  Saul's 
conversion  is  usually  called  miraculous.  So  it  was ; 
but  in  this  it  does  not  differ  from  the  experience  of 
other  Christians.  All  genuine  conversions  are  super- 
natural, which  is  the  same  thing  as  miraculous.  A 
miracle  is  an  event  that  cannot  be  accounted  for  by 
the  operation  of  known  natural  law.  And  are  sinners 
saved  by  the  operation  of  natural  law  ?  By  no  means. 
The  conversion  of  a  sinner  is  a  supernatural  event, 
and  as  much  a  proof  of  direct  Divine  interposition  as 
the  raising  of  a  dead  man  to  life.  Indeed  Jesus  de- 
«lares  it  to  be  a  greater  work  than  any  one  He  Himself 
performed  while  He  was  on  earth.  While  there  were 
extraordinary  circumstances  attending  Saul's  conver- 
sion, the  conversion  itself  was  an  ordinary  one.  The 
same  means  were  used,  the  same  conditions  were  re- 
quired of  him  as  of  other  men.  Thus  blind  and  at 
bay,  the  bigoted  Pharisee,  the  merciless  persecutor  of 
the  innocent  was  left  to  fight  out  the  battle  with  him- 
self to  make  the  great  decision  upon  which  all  his 
future  hung.  The  great  problem  which  confronts 
every  convicted  sinner  confronted  him,  viz,  "  Can  I 
afford  to  give  up  all  for  Christ?"  The  world  with 
its  honors  and  its  flatteries  seemed  within  his  grasp. 
He  had  just  begun  to  taste  the  pleasures  of  power 
and  authority.  They  had  not  yet  begun  to  pall  upon 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      353 

his  taste.  The  allurements  of  a  worldly  career  were 
very  enticing.  On  the  other  hand,  though  he  did  not 
foresee  all  the  afflictions  which  lay  before  him  in  the 
future,  he  could  feel  assured  of  scorn  and  contempt, 
stripes  and  imprisonment,  the  loss  of  friends  and 
the  unremitting  hatred  of  those  whom  he  had  been 
serving.  Perhaps,  as  he  was  yet  a  young  man,  his 
parents  still  survived.  They  had  been  to  much  ex- 
pense to  fit  him  up  for  a  career  of  usefulness  as 
a  Jewish  doctor,  and  had  fondly  hoped  to  see  him 
rise  to  prominence  and  wealth  among  his  own  people. 
He  must  prove  a  bitter  disappointment  to  them  if 
he  yielded  to  these  new  convictions  and  accepted  the 
call  of  Christ.  For  three  days  and  nights  the  con- 
flict raged  in  his  breast  as  he  lay  sleepless  and  fasting. 
The  demons  of  hell  and  the  angels  of  heaven  were 
interested  spectators  of  the  struggle,  waiting  for  the 
decision  to  be  reached.  At  length  the  die  was  cast, 
the  decision  was  made  and  he  began  to  pray.  He 
had  often  said  prayers  in  the  past  but  now  he  really 
prayed.  He  prayed  for  light  and  instruction  and 
deliverance,  for  that  was  what  the  Lord  sent.  There 
was  a  Jewish  Christian  in  Damascus  by  the  name 
of  Annanias.  The  Lord  appeared  to  him  in  a  vision 
and  directed  him  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  Saul,  declaring 
that  he  was  praying  and  had  seen,  in  a  vision,  An- 
nanias coming  to  him.  But  Annanias  was  afraid  to 
put  himself  in  the  power  of  a  man  of  whom  he  had 
heard  so  much  evil,  until  the  Lord  assured  him  that 
Saul  was  penitent  and  a  chosen  vessel  of  the  Lord 
for  preaching  His  gospel.  With  these  assurances, 
Annanias  went  to  the  designated  place  in  the  street 
that  was  called  Straight,  and  found  Saul  in  a  deplor- 


254      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

able  condition  of  weakness  and  affliction.  He  said 
to  him,  "  The  Lord  that  appeared  to  thee  in  the  way 
hath  sent  me  that  thou  mightst  receive  thy  sight 
and  be  rilled  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And  now  why 
tarriest  thou?  Arise  and  be  baptised  and  wash  away 
thy  sins  calling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord."  And 
Saul  "  arose  and  was  baptised " ;  and  we  are  told 
that  something  like  scales  fell  from  his  eyes  and  sight 
returned;  and  having  received  food  he  was  strength- 
ened. Now  what  took  place  at  the  interview  be- 
tween these  two  men?  The  matter  which  concerns 
many  people  is  the  question  whether  Annanias  bap- 
tized Saul  in  or  with  water.  There  seems  to  have 
been  no  other  person  present  at  this  meeting.  Saul 
was  evidently  not  in  the  house  of  a  Christian.  Those 
who  accompanied  him  to  Damascus  would  not  have 
taken  him  to  such  a  house.  It  was  probably  the  house 
of  an  unbelieving  Jew.  Now  it  is  possible  that  An- 
nanias may  have  sprinkled  or  poured  water  on  Saul, 
but  immersion  is  out  of  the  question.  It  is  generally 
taken  for  granted  that  Saul  was  baptized  with  water. 
But  where  is  the  proof?  It  is  altogether  improbable 
and  requires  proof  to  substantiate  it.  Now  I  am 
willing  that  anyone  should  believe  this  with  or  without 
proof,  but  I  must  be  convinced,  and  the  burden  of 
proof  is  on  those  who  so  teach.  Annanias  did  not 
say  that  the  Lord  sent  him  to  baptize  Saul  with 
water  or  to  baptize  him  at  all.  He  says  that  he  was 
sent  that  Saul  might  receive  his  sight  and  be  filled 
(baptized)  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  he  urged  him 
not  to  tarry,  but  have  the  work  done  at  once.  The 
work  to  be  done  was  to  take  place  while  he  was 
calling  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  was  to  wash 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      255 

away  his  sins.  Now  why  should  he  call  upon  God 
for  water  baptism  since  a  man  was  to  perform  it? 
He  should  have  called  on  Annanias.  And  would 
water  baptism  wash  away  his  sins  ?  "  O,"  but  says 
one,  "  he  was  to  wash  away  his  sins  by  calling  upon 
the  name  of  the  Lord."  No,  the  language  will  not 
admit  of  this  construction,  nor  will  calling  upon  the 
name  of  the  Lord  wash  away  sins,  but  baptism  will, 
if  it  is  the  right  kind.  It  is  evident  from  the  language 
of  Annanias  that  the  baptism  was  to  wash  away  his 
sins,  and  it  was  to  be  received  from  God  while 
calling  upon  Him  for  it.  This  could  only  have  been 
the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  When  the  disciples 
at  pentecost  were  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  they 
were  said  to  have  been  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost ; 
so  the  two  expressions  are  synonymous.  And  when 
Annanias  said  he  was  sent  that  Saul  might  be  filled 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  was  the  same  as  if  he  had 
said  he  was  sent  that  Saul  might  be  baptized  with  the 
Holy  Ghost.  If  we  substitute  the  word  "  baptized  " 
for  the  synonymous  word  "  filled ''  it  will  read, 
"  Brother  Saul,  the  Lord  that  appeared  to  thee  in 
the  way  hath  sent  me  that  thou  mightest  receive 
thy  sight  and  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  And 
now  why  tarriest  thou?  Arise  and  be  baptized  and 
wash  away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord." 
This  makes  everything  clear  and  plain.  All  could 
have  taken  place  just  as  described  without  the  pres- 
ence of  a  third  person,  and  nothing  would  have  oc- 
curred outside  of  the  commission  Annanias  said  he 
had  received  from  God.  Saul  may  have  been  bap- 
tized with  water,  but  it  must  have  been  on  some 
future  occasion  from  the  one  here  described.  On  or 


256      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

after  the  time  of  his  conversion,  Saul  received  a  new 
name  by  which  he  was  henceforth  known.  As  I 
have  said,  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul  was  in  no  respect 
different  from  that  of  any  believer.  He  heard  the 
gospel  preached  by  Stephen,  and  was  no  doubt  struck 
by  it  and  more  or  less  thoroughly  convinced  of  its 
truth.  He  stubbornly  resisted  these  convictions,  and 
persisted  in  his  course  of  persecution,  unwilling  to 
admit  to  himself  that  he  was  wrong.  The  Lord  did 
not  assume  to  Himself  that  authority  which  He  had 
delegated  to  His  disciples  of  preaching  the  gospel, 
nor  did  He  usurp  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
convincing  of  sin.  .  He  simply  called  Paul  to  the 
vacant  apostleship  in  such  a  manner  as  to  hasten  the 
crisis  in  his  experience  which  was  sure  to  come  in 
the  case  of  any  man  who  heard  the  gospel  and  who 
was  possessed  of  such  honesty  of  heart  as  Paul  pos- 
sessed. With  such  a  man  there  could  be  no  half 
measures.  As  a  Jew,  he  was  a  whole  hearted  Jew. 
He  had  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  and  whatever 
he  did,  he  did  with  all  his  soul.  Conversion  meant 
with  him,  as  it  means  to  us,  a  complete  spiritual  and 
moral  revolution.  Nothing  short  of  this  will  avail. 
He  declares  of  himself  that  immediately  he  conferred 
not  with  flesh  and  blood.  No  consideration  of  earthly 
ties  or  selfish  interests  influenced,  in  the  least,  his 
conduct.  With  single  heartedness,  he  renounced  all 
worldly  hopes  and  prospects,  counting  those  things 
which  were  gain  to  him  as  loss  for  Christ's  sake, 
and  immediately  began  those  Herculean  labors  of 
travelling  and  preaching  the  gospel,  which  ended  only 
with  his  martyrdom  in  Rome  in  his  old  age.  He 
declares  that  he  received  his  gospel  directly  from 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      257 

Christ  by  revelation  and  was  indebted  to  no  man  for 
it.  His  revelations  were  so  abundant,  that  to  pre- 
vent undue  exaltation  on  account  of  them,  he  had  to 
endure  special  opposition  and  affliction  which  he  de- 
nominates "  a  thorn  in  the  flesh,  a  minister  of  Satan  " 
to  buffet  him,  and  to  prevent  spiritual  pride.  It  is 
impossible  to  ascertain  with  certainty  what  his  afflic- 
tion was;  whether  it  was  some  bodily  weakness  or 
some  external  hindrance.  It  may  have  been  some 
personal  antagonist,  as  the  apostle  speaks  of  it  in  the 
masculine  gender.  I  am  disposed  to  think  that  it  was 
the  latter,  and  was  distinct  from  the  infirmity  in  the 
flesh,  which  he  speaks  of  in  his  letter  to  the  Galatians, 
which  they  were  said  neither  to  have  despised  nor 
rejected.  This  infirmity,  some  have  conjectured  to 
have  been  stammering  speech,  since  his  enemies 
charged  against  him  that  his  bodily  presence  was  weak 
and  his  speech  contemptible.  Others  have  supposed 
that  he  was  afflicted  with  weakness  of  the  eyes,  as 
when  speaking  of  his  infirmity  to  the  Galatians  he 
said  they  were  willing  to  have  plucked  out  their  own 
eyes  and  given  them  to  him.  It  may  be  that  he 
suffered  from  both  these  infirmities.  But,  however 
much  he  was  handicapped  by  them,  he  did  not  allow 
them  to  dampen  his  zeal,  nor  hinder  him,  nor  deter 
him  from  exercising  a  faithful  ministry.  He  even  de- 
clared that  he  would  glory  in  his  infirmities,  that  the 
power  of  God  might  be  more  plainly  discerned  in  his 
labors.  God  is  not  always  glorified  by  human  gifts 
and  excellencies.  They  are  liable  'to  attract  more 
attention  to  the  man  than  to  his  message.  They  tend 
too  much  to  the  glorification  of  the  instrument  God 
uses  rather  than  to  the  glory  of  God.  So  the  most 


258      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

efficient  instrument  or  agent  God  ever  used  in  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  was  probably  the  most  handi- 
capped by  physical  infirmities.  Thus  God,  and  not 
Paul,  had  the  praise  of  the  results  of  his  labors.  A 
fine  presence,  a  melodious  voice,  great  eloquence  of 
speech  are  pleasing  accessories  to  preaching,  but  it 
was  the  stammering  Paul,  not  the  eloquent  Apollos 
that  brought  most  glory  to  God.  It  was  the  small, 
insignificant  looking  Paul,  not  the  majestic,  imposing 
appearing  Barnabas,  that  was  most  successful  in  the 
work  of  the  ministry.  These  pleasing  gifts  impress 
the  fancy  and  move  the  feelings  of  the  hearer,  but 
may  fail  to  convince  the  judgment,  and  their  effects 
are  likely  to  prove  evanescent,  and  the  impressions 
may  not  prove  permanent.  In  these  considerations  we 
may  detect  a  valuable  hint,  and  from  these  facts  of 
holy  writ  we  may  draw  a  valuable  lesson.  "  We  have 
this  treasure  in  earthen  vessels  that  the  excellency  of 
the  power  may  be  of  God  and  not  of  us." 


THE  DOCTRINE  OF  THE  IMPUTATION  OF 
SIN   AND  RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

"As  by  one  man's  disobedience  many  were  made  sinners,  so 
by  the  obedience  of  one  shall  many  be  made  righteous," 
— Rom.  4:19. 

"Sin  is  not  imputed  where  there  is  no  law." — Rom.  4:13. 

"  Blessed  is  the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  will  not  impute  sin." 
— Rom.  4:8. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  most  profound  theo- 
logical essay  ever  written  is  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans, and  there  is  no  part  of  the  Holy  Writ  that 
has  been  so  variously  explained  and  so  differently 
understood,  or  rather,  misunderstood.  The  Lord  Jesus 
did  not  see  fit  to  construct  a  system  of  theology; 
His  teachings  are  not  dogmatic.  The  fundamental 
principles  of  His  religion  are  found  scattered  through 
His  teachings,  but  they  are  not  arranged  in  order 
or  systematized,  so  that  their  harmony  and  interde- 
pendence might  be  easily  seen.  We  are  not  to  conclude 
that,  from  this  circumstance,  system  and  dogma  are 
useless  and  unprofitable.  We  have  no  authority  for, 
such  an  inference.  The  Lord  may  have  had  various 
reasons  for  His  conduct  in  this  matter.  Our  Lord 
committed  nothing  to  writing,  but  that  is  no  proof  that 
He  did  not  want  His  teachings  written  down,  though 
He  gives  no  instructions  for  so  doing.  His  reasons 
for  these  things  we  may  not  be  able  to  discover,  but 
they  must  be  good  ones.  It  is  evident  that  as  much 
as  possible  of  the  work  of  saving  men  was  left  to  the 
agency  of  God's  people.  God  does  nothing  directly 
that  He  can  do  through  them.  It  would  have  served 


259 


260      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

no  good  end  for  Him  to  have  given  us  a  system  of 
theology.  He  wished  to  stimulate  our  curiosity  and  to 
induce  research.  He  said,  "  Search  the  Scriptures." 
God's  plan  of  salvation  can  not  be  understood  at  a 
glance.  It  requires  much  time  and  experience  to  gain 
a  knowledge  of  it.  If  Christ  had  given  us  a  compre- 
hensive system  of  doctrines,  we  would  have  imagined 
we  understood  it  when  we  did  not.  Then  men  would 
have  differed  as  much  about  this  system  of  theology 
as  they  do  about  the  inspired  scriptures  we  now  have. 
Christ  was  often  called  the  Great  Teacher,  though  His 
principal  work  was  not  to  teach  men  but  to  redeem 
them.  They  were  not  in  a  spiritual  condition  to  be 
taught.  Like  Nicodemus,  they  could  not  understand 
even  earthly  things,  much  less  heavenly  things.  God 
had  provided  a  Great  Teacher  for  His  people:  viz, 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Jesus  said,  "  He  shall  teach  you 
all  things  " ;  "  He  shall  guide  you  into  all  truth."  He 
brought  to  their  remembrance  all  things  Jesus  had 
spoken  that  they  might  write  them  down  for  the  in- 
struction of  future  ages.  This  is  the  dispensation  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  our  Teacher,  our  Guide,  our 
Leader,  our  Comforter.  He  is  that  person  of  the 
Godhead  who  is  in  the  world  and  with  whom  we 
come  in  vital  contact.  Through  Him  alone  can  we 
learn  the  truth  and  be  instructed  in  the  Gospel  doc- 
trines. The  evangelists  were  led  by  this  Spirit  to 
write  the  gospels,  giving  us  samples  of  Christ's  teach- 
ings and  narratives  of  His  life  among  men.  Others 
were  inspired  by  the  same  Spirit  to  write  epistles  to 
the  various  churches.  The  chief  of  these  letter 
writers  was  the  apostle  Paul,  one  of  the  greatest  in- 
tellects that  ever  adorned  this  earth.  He  claimed  to 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      261 

get  his  gospel  directly  from  God  and  not  from  the 
teachings  of  any  man.  This  seems  to  have  been 
necessary  to  him  as  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
claimed  such  an  abundance  of  these  revelations  that 
he  was  in  danger  of  being  unduly  exalted  so  that 
buffetings  were  necessary  for  him  to  keep  him  humble. 
No  one  now  need  expect  such  revelations  as  St.  Paul 
received,  as  they  are  not  necessary;  but  the  same 
Holy  Spirit  that  taught  him  will  teach  us  through 
the  revealed  word,  and  guide  us  into  all  truth.  There 
has  been  more  controversy  over  the  epistle  to  the 
Romans  than  over  any  other  book  in  the  Bible.  It 
certainly  comes  under  Peter's  description  of  Paul's 
writings  as  being  hard  to  be  understood,  which  some 
wrest  to  their  own  destruction.  A  system  of  doctrine 
is  useful  to  all,  and  to  some  minds  a  necessity.  It 
gives  us  a  better  understanding  of  any  truth  to  per- 
ceive its  relation  to  other  truths.  It  is  said  that  order 
is  heaven's  first  law;  and  the  apostle  Paul  declares 
that  God  delights  in  order  and  abhors  confusion.  So 
He  has,  through  the  apostles,  given  us  a  system  of 
doctrines,  and  especially  has  He  thus  used  the  apostle 
Paul,  who  was  the  best  equipped  for  this  work  of 
all  the  apostles  both  in  ability  and  training.  Yet 
what  the  apostles  have  done  in  this  direction  does 
not  prohibit  or  exclude  our  efforts  in  the  same  work. 

The  subject  under  consideration  naturally  divides 
itself  into  two  parts: 

(1)  "Imputation  of  sin";  (2)  "Imputation  of 
righteousness." 

(1)  We  will  consider,  first,  the  doctrine  of  the 
imputation  of  sin. 

If  nothing  were  said  of  this  matter  in  the  Scriptures 


262      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

there  are  facts  in  nature  which  would  suggest  it  to 
thinking  men.     These   phenomena   are   not   obscure, 
but  are  thrust  upon  our  notice  and  attention.     It  is 
a  patent  fact,  acknowledged  on  all  hands,  that  in  this 
world  the  innocent  often  suffer  with  the  guilty.     It 
is  one  of  the  principal  defects  of  human  governments 
that  their  laws  bear   unequally   upon  their   subjects 
and  that  injustice  is  an  inevitable  result  of  the  ad- 
ministration of  justice.     The  interests  of  all  classes 
are   so    inextricably   mingled   that   they    can   not   be 
segregated  when  law  is  enforced,  and  thus  the  inno- 
cent are  made  to   suffer.     This   is   unfortunate  but 
unavoidable.     That  is,  in  other  words,  under  human 
laws  crime  is  imputed  to  the  innocent  and  they  are 
dealt  with  as  if  they  were  guilty.     This  is  one  of 
the  results  of  the  imperfection  of  human  nature,  which 
is  derived  from  the  fall  of  our  first  parents.     The 
worst  feature  of  this  injustice  of  human  law  is  that 
it  has  no  recompense.    An  innocent  man  is  suspected 
of  having  committed  a   felony,  is  arrested,  indicted 
and  tried  for  his  life.    Before  the  trial  he  is  imprisoned 
while  awaiting  the  session  of  the  court.    And  though 
he  may  escape  conviction,  his  substance  is  wasted,  his 
reputation  smirched,  his  family  stigmatized,  his  busi- 
ness ruined  and  he  is  turned  loose,  glad  to  escape  with 
his  life.    What  return  does  society  make  to  this  victim 
for  the  suffering  and  loss  it  has  occasioned  him  ?    None 
whatever.     Since,  then,  in  his  relations  and  dealings 
with  his  fellows  an  innocent  man  is  liable  to  have 
transgression  imputed,  it  is  not  so  strange  and  startling 
a  proposition  that  the  same  thing  should  be  found 
true  in  his  relation  to  God.     Man's  defection  from 
righteousness  made  one  of  two  courses  necessary  in 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      263 

his  case.  Either  the  sin  and  its  punishment  must  be 
confined  to,  and  end  with  the  first  transgressors ;  or  if 
allowed  to  propagate  their' species,  they  must  produce 
children  exposed  to  the  same  evils  as  they  themselves 
were  exposed  to,  living  under  the  same  conditions. 
As  they  themselves  were  mortal,  exposed  to  natural 
evil  and  subject  to  vanity:  viz,  sickness,  pain  and 
various  sufferings,  so  would  their  innocent  children  be. 
In  other  words  their  sin  would  be  imputed  to  their 
innocent  offspring,  since  they  would  suffer  the  same 
as  if  they  had  committed  the  sin  their  parents  had 
committed.  We  are  not  to  understand  when  it  is  said 
that  Adam's  sin  is  imputed  to  his  descendants,  that 
God  regards  them  as  actually  guilty  of  that  sin,  but 
that  they  suffer  the  same  penalty  in  this  life  as  those 
who  were  actually  guilty  did  suffer.  So  the  apostle 
declares,  "  Nevertheless  death  reigned  from  Adam  to 
Moses  even  over  them  that  had  not  sinned  after  the 
similitude  of  Adam's  transgression."  (Rom.  4:14.) 
This  was  true  though  "  Sin  is  not  imputed  where 
there  is  no  law,"  and  the  law  was  not  given  until 
Moses.  Hence,  death  could  not  have  been  the  result 
of  their  own  personal  transgressions.  If  it  be  ad- 
mitted, as  the  apostle  declares,  that  death  is  the  penalty 
of  sin,  it  must  also  be  admitted  that  it  is  not  the 
penalty  of  our  own  personal  sin,  since  those  die  who 
could  not  have  sinned.  Little  innocent  children  die 
and  are  subject  to  the  same  natural  evils  as  adults. 
"  For  the  creature  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  not 
willingly,  but  by  reason  of  Him  who  hath  subjected 
the  same  in  hope."  (Rom.  8:20.)  God's  people  like- 
wise are  left  under  the  dominion  of  vanity  and  death. 
"  For  if  Christ  be  in  you,  the  body  is  dead  because 


264      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

of  sin,  but  the  spirit  is  life  because  of  righteousness." 
(Rom.  8:10.)  Adam's  sin  is  still  imputed  to  God's 
people.  "  Because  of  sin "  means  Adam's  sin,  and 
"  Because  of  righteousness  "  means  Christ's  righteous- 
ness. As  our  own  personal  disobedience  had  no  part 
as  the  cause  of  our  subjection  to  vanity  and  death,  so 
our  own  personal  obedience  is  no  part  of  the  cause 
of  our  deliverance  from  death  and  vanity.  As  dying 
is  entirely  without  condition  and  responsibility  on  our 
part,  so  deliverance  from  death  is  equally  without 
condition  on  our  part.  As  to  the  manner  of  our 
resurrection  we  have  responsibility,  but  not  as  to  the 
fact.  I  have  no  more  responsibility  for  being  de- 
livered from  the  grave  than  for  having  been  born 
mortal.  "  For  as  in  Adam  all  die,  so  in  Christ  shall 
all  be  made  alive."  (1  Cor.  15:22.)  As  we  died 
in  Adam  without  our  fault  so  will  we  be  made  alive 
in  Christ  without  anything  being  required  on  our  part. 
I  speak  thus  fully  on  this  point  because  of  the  in- 
ferences to  be  drawn  from  it.  The  resurrection  of 
the  body  is  no  part  of  the  salvation  which  we  obtain 
by  faith  in  Christ.  It  comes  to  us  unconditionally, 
as  it  does  to  every  man,  saint  and  sinner.  Our  faith 
has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  I  trust  that  I  make  this 
point  clear.  Sickness,  pain  and  death  are  the  result 
of  imputed  sin  which  we  personally  have  no  part  in, 
while  the  resurrection  of  our  bodies  will  be  the  result 
of  imputed  righteousness  in  which  we  have  as  little 
part.  It  follows  then  that  our  salvation  from  sin  by 
faith  in  Christ  exerts  no  influence  over  natural  evil, 
the  result  of  Adam's  sin.  In  other  words,  those  who 
are  saved  from  sin  through  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  have 
in  no  wise  changed  their  relation  toward  natural  evil, 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      265 

but  are  under  the  curse,  and  suffer  the  results  of 
the  sin  of  our  first  parents  just  as  they  did  before. 
This  fact  contradicts  the  teaching,  now  quite  prev- 
alent, that  sickness  is  a  shame  to  a  Christian.  He 
is  no  more  exempt  from  sickness  or  other  natural 
evil  than  a  sinner  is,  since  his  moral  or  spiritual 
condition  has  nothing  to  do  either  in  producing  or 
preventing  it.  In  order  to  be  exempt  from  sickness 
he  must  be  delivered  from  the  curse  of  the  first  sin. 
Now  he  is  either  under  the  curse  which  denounces 
sickness,  pain  and  death  and  all  natural  evil,  or  he 
is  exempt  from  it.  If  under  the  curse,  he  is  in  the 
same  condition  he  was  born  in;  if  exempt  from  the 
curse,  he  is  no  longer  subject  to  death  or  any  natural 
evil.  There  is  no  middle  ground.  He  would  never 
need  healing  for  he  would  never  be  sick.  What 
folly  and  absurdity  it  is  to  claim  exemption  from 
sickness  and  not  claim  exemption  from  death  since 
the  same  cause  produces  both.  God  does  sometimes 
in  the  exercise  of  His  sovereignty  heal  specific  cases 
of  disease  as  Christ  did  while  on  earth,  and  for  the 
same  purpose  that  he  raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead, 
for  His  own  glory;  but  those  are  the  exceptions,  not 
the  rule.  I  have  no  more  right  to  a  claim  in  Christ 
to  continuous  health  than  I  have  to  endless  life  without 
dying.  It  is  true  that  God  has  made  two  exceptions 
to  the  rule  and  took  Enoch  and  Elijah  to  heaven 
without  dying,  but  that  gives  me  no  claim  to  exemption 
from  "  the  inevitable  hour  " ;  no  more  does  the  fact 
that  Christ  healed  some  sick  people  give  me  a  claim 
to  exemption  from  sickness.  If  I  am  delivered  from 
the  results  of  Adam's  sin,  then  I  am  not  only  ex- 
empt from  sickness  and  death,  but  from  sorrow, 


266      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

bereavement,  accident  from  loss  by  fire  or  flood,  from 
drought,  or  the  destruction  of  fruits  or  crops  by 
noxious  insects  and  from  every  other  natural  calamity. 
I  should  expect  rain  and  sunshine  when  I  need  them 
whether  my  neighbors  have  them  or  not.  Since  it  is 
evident  that  the  Christian  is  not  exempt  from  all 
these  evils,  it  follows  that  he  is  exempt  from  none 
of  them.  It  is  clear  that  the  apostles  knew  nothing 
of  freedom  from  natural  evil  on  the  part  of  Chris- 
tians. They  did  not  profess  to  be  exempt  from  sick- 
ness themselves  nor  teach  that  others  were.  But 
some  may  object  that  it  is  not  claimed  that  Christ- 
tians  will  not  get  sick,  but  that  if  sick  may  be  im- 
mediately healed  if  they  have  faith  in  God.  But  I 
reply  that  if  God  will  heal  sickness  immediately  when 
it  supervenes,  and  if  it  is  a  proof  of  want  of  faith 
to  be  sick,  this  must  be  because  it  is  not  the  will 
of  God  that  His  people  should  be  sick.  If  this  is 
true,  will  not  faith  prevent  sickness  as  well  as  heal 
it?  If  it  is  not  God's  will  that  I  should  be  sick,  what 
need  is  there  that  I  should  get  sick?  Then  I  should 
never  need  healing  if  I  have  faith.  Faith  will  surely 
be  as  strong  as  a  preventive  as  it  will  be  as  a  cure. 
It  is  generally  understood  that  the  apostle  Paul  was 
subject  to  some  disease  but  it  is  not  clear  what  the 
malady  was.  Whether  the  "  thorn  in  the  flesh  "  of 
which  he  speaks  was  some  diseased  condition  as  many 
suppose,  or  some  human  antagonist,  is  not  certainly 
known,  but  it  was  the  source  of  weakness,  since 
God,  in  refusing  his  request  for  removal,  replies, 
"  My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee,  for  My  grace  is 
made  perfect  in  weakness."  And  the  apostle  con- 
cludes that  he  would  much  rather  glory  therefore  in 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      267 

his  infirmities.  O,  shameless  man.  Then  St.  Paul 
left  Trophemus  at-  Miletum  sick.  What  a  shame  and 
disgrace.  If  he  had  possessed  faith  like  our  modern 
apostles  this  would  not  have  occurred.  I  suppose 
Trophemus  was  profoundly  ashamed  o'f  himself  as 
became  him  to  be.  Then  there  was  Timothy,  that 
eminent  laborer  in  the  gospel,  the  spiritual  son  of 
the  apostle  Paul  and  greatly  beloved  by  him.  Tim- 
othy suffered  from  a  weak  stomach,  and  had  frequent 
attacks  of  illness.  Doubtless  this  tended  to  interfere 
with  his  gospel  labors.  But  it  seems  that  neither  the 
sufferer  himself  nor  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles 
had  faith  enough  to  heal  him.  It  is  true  that  on 
occasion  St.  Paul  had  power  to  raise  a  man  from  the 
dead,  but  it  seems  to  have  failed  in  Timothy's  case. 
And  worst  of  all  to  the  scandal  of  modern  healers, 
he  recommended  to  Timothy  to  use  a  remedy.  Alas 
for  St.  Paul.  He  has  forfeited  the  confidence  of 
our  modern  faith  healers.  But  this  much  can  be  said 
in  his  favor,  he  raised  a  dead  man  to  life,  which  none 
of  them  has  done  so  far  as  reported.  I  trust  this 
fact  will  modify  their  judgment  of  him,  though  I 
can  not  hope  that  it  will  entirely  exculpate  him. 
Probably  the  greatest  "  fake  "  of  modern  times  is  the 
prevalent  faith  healing.  It  proceeds  upon  the  theory, 
which  I  have  shown  to  be  a  false  one,  that  it  is 
criminal  and  shameful  for  a  Christian  to  be  sick  or 
diseased.  It  runs  through  the  entire  gamut  of  relig- 
ious opinions,  from  the  atheism  of  Christian  Science 
to  the  fanaticism  of  Dowieism ;  from  the  miraculous 
power  of  relics  at  a  Roman  Catholic  shrine  to  a 
mountebank  like  Schlatter.  I  have  equal  confidence 
in  all  of  them  since  they  all  exhibit  equally  convincing 


268      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

testimony  of  the  reality  of  their  cures.  That  God 
should  be  using  all  these  conflicting  and  antagonistic 
agencies  for  the  performance  of  miraculous  cures, 
overtaxes  my  credulity.  And  yet,  if  I  believe  one  of 
them  I  must  believe  all  of  them,  for,  as  I  have  said, 
they  all  produce  equally  convincing  testimony.  No 
doubt  there  are  many  apparent  cures,  but  I  refuse 
to  believe  that  there  is  anything  supernatural  in  them. 
I  have  known  a  violent  toothache  cured  by 
simply  starting  toward  the  dentist's  office,  but  it  was 
no  miracle,  nor  was  the  cure  permanent.  But  some 
one  may  enquire,  "  Do  you  not  then  believe  that  God 
can  heal  the  sick?"  I  certainly  do  believe  that  God 
can  heal  the  sick  and  raise  the  dead,  and  that  He 
will  do  either  or  both  whenever  He  sees  it  to  be 
to  His  glory  to  do  so;  and  that  he  will  use  His 
people  as  His  instruments  in  this  work.  And  I  further 
believe  that  any  man  who  has  faith  to  save  his  soul 
from  sin  has  sufficient  faith  to  save  his  body  from 
disease  when  it  is  God's  will  that  he  should  be  thus 
healed.  Not. only  can  God  heal  the  sick,  but  He  is 
the  author  of  healing  as  the  Devil  is  the  author 
of  disease.  Whether  a  man  is  healed  of  disease  with 
or  without  the  use  of  remedies,  God  does  the  healing. 
The  use  of  remedies  is  condemned  by  these  faith 
healers  as  being  inconsistent  with  faith  in  God.  But 
this  assumption  is  untenable.  The  denunciation  of 
physicians  and  medicines  is  unreasonable.  I  am  not 
disposed  to  set  up  a^  defence  of  physicians,  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  the  less  medicine  people  take,  es- 
pecially poisonous  drugs,  the  better  they  are  off; 
but  an  indiscriminate  condemnation  of  all  remedies 
is  absurd.  I  am  perfectly  willing  that  anyone  should 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      269 

refuse  to  use  medicines  if  he  believes  them  harmful, 
and  I  am  persuaded  that  people  are  just  as  well  off 
without  medicines  as  with  them,  as  they  do  as  much 
harm,  probably,  as  they  do  good ;  yet  there  is  no  force 
in  the  claim  that  the  use  of  remedies  in  every  case 
is  inconsistent  with  faith  in  God.  I  know  that  if  I 
am  healed,  God  must  heal  me,  whether  with  or  without 
medicines;  and  I  know  that  if  I  am  fed,  God  must 
feed  me,  whether  I  labor  for  a  living  or  not.  But 
it  does  not  follow  that  I  must  sit  down  and  wait 
for  God  to  feed  me,  because  he  fed  Elijah  by  means 
of  ravens,  or  the  Lord  Jesus  in  the  wilderness  by 
means  of  angels.  Because  I  am  dependent  on  God 
for  food  does  not  make  it  inconsistent  with  faith  in 
God  for  me  to  work.  So  far  is  this  from  being 
true  that  the  apostle  Paul  has  declared  that  the  man 
who  will  not  work  shall  not  eat.  God  is  as  able 
to  feed  me  without  work  as  He  is  to  heal  me  without 
medicine,  but  He  has  not  promised  to  do  either,  unless 
necessity  demands  it.  If  I  cannot  work  I  can  trust 
God  to  feed  me  without  it.  If  I  know  no  remedy  for 
disease  I  can  trust  God  to  heal  me  without  any. 
In  other  words  God  will  do  for  us  what  we  cannot 
do  for  ourselves.  But  if  I  know  of  some  remedy 
that  is  likely  to  give  me  ease  frorn  pain  and  I  will 
not  use  it,  how  can  I  trust  God  to  heal  me  any  more 
than  I  can  trust  Him  to  feed  me  if  I  will  not  work? 
But  one  may  object  that  he  knows  that  labor  will 
obtain  food  but  he  does  not  certainly  know  the  effect 
of  a  medicine.  But  you  do  not  know  that  labor  will 
procure  food.  The  farmer  may  labor  all  season  to 
obtain  a  crop  for  the  sustenance  of  his  family  and  be 
disappointed.  Flood,  or  drought,  or  storm,  or  nox- 


270      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

ious  insects  may  entirely  destroy  the  results  of  his 
labors.  Is  he  therefore  justifiable  in  sitting  down  and 
refusing  to  labor  because  the  result  is  uncertain? 
Usually  his  labor  is  rewarded  with  success.  Usually 
a  certain  remedy  gives  relief.  In  neither  case  is  the 
result  certain.  In  neither  case  is  one  justifiable  in 
doing  nothing;  and  in  neither  case  is  action  contrary 
to  faith  in  God.  I  am  not  trying  to  persuade  any 
person  to  employ  physicians  or  to  take  medicines. 
That  is  a  matter  of  indifference  to  me.  Let  every 
man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind.  I  am 
combatting  the  notion  that  abstinence  from  the  use 
of  remedies  is  necessary  to  faith  in  God.  That  claim 
is  unscriptural,  unreasonable  and  fanatical.  I  have 
known  persons  who  would  not  use  cold  water  to 
assuage  a  raging  fever  so  bound  were  they  by  fear 
of  offending  God  by  using  remedies.  It  is  to  deliver 
from  such  bondage  as  this  that  I  labor.  It  seems 
to  me  that  the  emphasis  that  is  at  present  laid  upon 
the  subject  of  physical  healing  without  the  use  of 
medicine  is  an  effort  of  Satan  to  distract  earnest 
souls  from  a  matter  of  much  more  importance:  viz, 
the  salvation  of  the  soul.  The  health  of  the  body 
is  a  matter  of  comparatively  little  importance.  As 
the  poet  has  written: 

"  How  vain  a  toy   is   glittering  wealth, 
If  once  compared  with  Thee: 
And  what's  my  safety  or  my  health, 
Or  all  my  friends  to  me? 
Were  I  possessor  of  the  earth, 
And  called  the  stars  my  own, 
Without  Thy  graces   and  Thyself 
I  were  a  wretch  undone." 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      271 

The  saving  of  the  soul  is  a  much  greater  work 
than  the  healing  of  the  body.  Jesus  gave  healing 
power  to  the  disciples  while  they  were  even  yet  un- 
converted, but  they  could  not  do  the  work  of  the 
gospel  until  they  had  received  the  Holy  Spirit,  giving 
them  power  and  qualifying  them  for  gospel  preaching. 
This  is  the  greater  work  that  Jesus  promised  they 
should  do  after  His  return  to  the  Father.  If  they 
are  qualified  for  this  greater  work,  they  certainly 
must  be  qualified  for  the  lesser.  To  set  up  healing 
the  sick  as  a  greater  work  than  that  of  preaching  the 
gospel,  requiring  greater  faith  and  deeper  experience, 
is  to  contradict  Christ,  turn  the  gospel  topsy-turvy, 
and  draw  the  special  attention  of  men  to  the  things 
of  least  importance  and  away  from  the  matter  of 
highest  moment.  Thus  Satan  will  deceive,  if  possible, 
the  very  elect.  I  have  no  doubt  the  honest,  sincere 
souls  have  been  affected  by  this  snare  of  Satan,  but 
God  will  deliver  them  if  they  remain  simple  and 
teachable.  Early  in  my  Christian  experience  I  was 
in  danger  from  this  wile  of  the  Devil,  but  the  Lord 
graciously  delivered  me.  Through  suffering  I  learned 
the  needed  lesson.  We  have  a  right  to  all  the  help 
our  friends  can  give;  to  benefit  by  all  the  lessons 
of  experience  and  observation;  to  gain  advantage 
from  all  the  discoveries  of  science,  realizing  at  the 
same  time  that  by  whatever  means  or  through  what- 
ever channel  help  may  come,  the  Lord  Himself  sends  it. 

We  conclude  from  the  arguments  adduced  that 
since  the  curse  of  natural  evil,  sickness,  pain  and 
death  with  all  their  concomitant  evils  are  the  result 
of  Adam's  sin  and  are  ours  through  imputation  of 
that  sin,  that  God's  people,  like  other  men,  are  still 


272      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

under  this  curse  and  will  be  until  the  redemption  of 
their  bodies  in  the  resurrection.  That  though  the 
Lord  may,  in  special  emergencies,  deliver  His  people 
from  special  attacks  of  disease,  He  leaves  them  still 
under  the  inexorable  decree  of  which  fact  the  death 
of  Christians  is  the  undeniable  proof. 

This  imputation  of  the  sin  of  another  would  be 
manifest  injustice  unless  restitution  shall  in  some  way 
be  made.  As  I  said  in  the  beginning,  the  suffering 
of  the  innocent  was  unavoidable  if  our  first  parents 
were  allowed  to  perpetuate  the  species,  and  I  think 
that  everyone,  if  the  matter  were  left  to  his  choice, 
would  choose  existence,  even  under  these  circum- 
stances, rather  than  nonexistence.  But  God  does  not 
intend  that  the  suffering  of  the  innocent  shall  extend 
beyond  this  short  life.  No  one  will  suffer  in  the 
future  world  as  a  result  of  Adam's  sin,  but  solely 
as  a  result  of  his  own  free  choice.  The  mortal  life, 
lost  through  the  first  transgression  will  be  restored 
unconditionally  through  the  atonement  of  Christ. 
And  though  this  restored  life  will  be  of  no  advantage 
to  the  impenitent,  that  is  their  own  fault.  Every 
man,  through  the  gospel  of  Christ,  may  have  recom- 
pense for  all  his  sufferings  here  which  result  from 
imputed  sin.  The  apostle  Paul  declares  that  these 
light  afflictions,  which  are  but  momentary,  work  out 
for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory.  And  if  this  is  not  true  in  the  future  experi- 
ence of  anyone,  it  is  because  he  has  chosen  that  it 
shall  not  be  true.  The  believer  will  have  reason  to 
thank  God  in  eternity  for  the  sufferings  undergone 
through  imputed  sin,  since  "  The  sufferings  of  this 
present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      273 

glory  that  shall  be  revealed  in  us."  Thus,  though  we 
may  suffer  and  do  suffer  for  the  fault  of  another,  we 
may,  if  we  will,  find  abundant  recompense  for  all 
our  suffering.  Those  who  die  in  infancy  do  find  this 
recompense  for  suffering  the  same  as  the  believer 
through  the  obedience  of  Him  who  "  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world."  No  one  then  will  be  the  final 
loser  through  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  except  him 
who  by  free  choice  elects  to  take  this  responsibility. 
Thus  God  is  justified  in  His  dealings  with  men  and 
cannot  be  fairly  charged  with  disregard  of  the  rights 
of  His  creatures.  We  may  not  be  responsible  for 
the  sufferings  of  our  present  state,  but  if  we  suffer 
in  the  future  life  and  fail  of  recompense  for  present 
sufferings,  we  will  have  no  one  to  blame  but  ourselves. 
(2)  We  now  come  to  the  second  part  of  the 
subject:  viz,  the  imputation  of  righteousness.  The 
apostle  declares  that  "  as  by  the  disobedience  of  one, 
many  were  made  sinners,  so  by  the  obedience  of  one 
shall  many  be  made  righteous."  It  is  proper  and  in 
accordance  with  correct  exegesis  to  assume  that  the 
word  "  many  "  in  each  clause  of  this  quotation  refers 
to  the  same  persons ;  that  is,  that  the  "  many  "  made 
righteous  are  the  same  "  many  "  who  were  made  sin- 
ners. Now  as  the  many  made  sinners  includes  all 
mankind,  the  many  made  righteous  must  include  all 
mankind.  But  all  mankind  are  not  actually  made 
righteous,  nor  were  they  actually  made  sinners  as  we 
have  already  shown.  In  the  same  sense  then  as  sin 
was  imputed  to  them,  so  righteousness  is  imputed  to 
them  also.  That  is,  as  they  were  regarded  as  sinners 
when  they  were  not  really  and  actually  such,  on  ac- 
count of  Adam's  disobedience,  so  on  the  account  of 


274       LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

the  obedience  of  Christ,  they  are  accounted  righteous 
when  they  are  not  really  such.  This  fact  is  what  John 
the  Baptist  referred  to  when  he  pointed  Jesus  out  to 
the  multitude,  exclaiming,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world."  Adam's 
sin  was  the  sin  of  the  whole  world,  and  Christ's 
obedience  is  the  righteousness  or  justification  of  the 
whole  world  from  Adam's  sin.  It  is  true  that  the 
results  of  the  first  sin  are  not  eliminated  in  this 
life,  neither  mortality  nor  depravity,  but  if  we  accept 
of  Christ's  salvation,  they  will  be  destroyed,  depravity 
here  and  now,  mortality  in  the  resurrection.  This  im- 
putation of  Christ's  righteousness  preserves  every 
human  being  in  a  state  of  justification  or  legal  in- 
nocence until  personal  responsibility  begins.  (I  pause 
in  my  argument  to  state  here  that  while  imputation 
of  sin  is  mentioned  in  scripture,  imputation  of  right- 
eousness is  not  spoken  of  in  these  exact  words.  But 
the  fact  is  stated  in  other  language.  The  language 
which  I  have  here  quoted,  "  by  the  obedience  of  one 
shall  many  be  made  righteous,"  is  a  statement  of 
this  doctrine.  I  speak  of  this  since  some  have  ob- 
jected to  this  teaching  because  these  exact  terms 
are  not  found  in  the  scriptures.)  The  period  in  the 
experience  of  any  individual  when  personal  responsi- 
bility begins  cannot  be  definitely  stated.  Responsibility 
comes  with  our  knowledge  of  our  duty  toward  God, 
and  is  in  proportion  also  to  our  ability  to  perform 
that  duty.  Two  things  are  essential  to  responsibility, 
therefore,  light  and  power;  light  to  see  duty  and 
power  to  perform  it.  Not  light  alone  is  the  measure 
of  responsibility,  but  light  and  power.  It  makes  no 
difference  how  clearly  I  may  see  duty,  if  I  am  not 


LATER  LIFE.  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      275 

able  to  perform  it,  I  cannot  in  justice  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  its  performance.  This  fact  greatly 
limits  the  obligation  of  those  who  are  without  the 
grace  of  God.  God  has  been  pleased  to  furnish  light 
and  strength  in  about  equal  proportions;  for  of  what 
avail  is  it  to  give  much  light  to  see  duty  without 
much  power  of  performance?  It  could  but  add  to 
the  misery  of  the  recipient.  We  sometimes  are  made 
to  wonder  at  the  favor  and  toleration  God  showed 
to  men  of  such  morals  as  were  many  of  the  Old 
Testament  worthies.  I  know  that  there  are  some 
who  exclaim  against  such  a  characterization  of  the 
Old  Testament  believers,  but  it  is  God  Himself,  by 
the  pen  of  inspiration,  who  has  drawn  their  moral 
portraits,  and  I  do  not  see  how  God  will  be  glorified 
or  men  benefited  by  our  trying  to  palliate  grievous 
sins  or  to  whitewash  their  characters.  Let  their  por- 
traits stand  as  God  has  painted  them.  The  endeavor 
to  rehabilitate  them  and  to  make  their  conduct  appear 
less  reprehensible  has  done  much  to  furnish  professed 
Christians  with  excuses  for  their  sins,  and  to  lower 
the  standard  of  Christian  morals.  This  effort  to 
furbish  up  the  characters  of  believers  before  Christ's 
advent  by  theologians  and  critics  arises  out  of  the 
mistaken  notion  that  they  were  held  to  the  same 
standard  of  morals  that  Christians  are  held  to.  And 
the  inference  is  drawn  that  if  God  could  excuse  such 
lapses  from  virtue  as  they  were  guilty  of,  He  will 
excuse  the  same  in  us.  If  the  premise  were  true,  the 
conclusion  would  be  legitimate  and  logical.  But  the 
premise  is  not  true,  which  invalidates  the  conclusion. 
The  same  blameless  life  was  not  expected  of  those 
who  lived  before  the  gospel  age  that  is  demanded  now. 


276      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

It  is  true  that  God's  holy  law  demanded  the  same 
perfect  life  then  as  now,  but  so  far  as  expecting 
perfect  obedience  to  that  law,  which  neither  they  nor 
we  can  render,  but  little  in  respect  of  morals  was 
required  of  them,  because  of  their  moral  inability. 
And  so  far  as  we  can  see  the  same  standard  applied 
to  those  who  were  of  faith  and  those  who  were  not. 
There  are  many  proofs  for  this  difference  of  standards 
for  them  and  us.  Jesus,  speaking  of  the  law  of 
divorce  in  the  Mosaic  law,  declared  that  men  were 
allowed  to  put  away  their  wives  "  because  of  the 
hardness  of  their  hearts."  This  law  applied  to  all  the 
Jews  equally.  "  The  whole  house  of  Israel "  were 
"  uncircumcised  in  heart."  They  all  had  such  hearts. 
Again  "  It  was  said  to  them  of  old  time,  '  Thou  shalt 
love  thy  neighbor  and  hate  thine  enemy.' "  But 
Christians  are  required  to  love  their  enemies,  and 
this  love  is  made  a  test  of  their  sonship.  Again,  "  An 
eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a  tooth  "  was  permitted 
them  of  old  time,  but  revenge  is  expressly  forbidden 
to  Christians.  The  apostle  Paul,  speaking  of  the  time 
before  Christ's  advent,  says,  "  The  times  of  this 
ignorance,  God  winked  at,  but  now  commandeth  all 
men  everywhere  to  repent."  God  winked  at,  or  made 
allowance  for  their  ignorance  and  consequent  violation 
of  His  law,  since  He  had  withheld  the  light  and  knowl- 
edge of  duty,  as  well  as  the  power  to  perform  it; 
but  under  the  gospel  He  furnishes  both  light  and 
strength  so  that  allowance  need  no  longer  be  made. 
Now  all  men  who  hear  the  gospel  are  commanded 
to  repent  and  obey  God's  requirements,  and  if  they 
neglect  or  refuse  to  do  so,  they  can  expect  no  grace 
or  mercy;  no  palliation  of  the  offence.  Jesus  makes 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      277 

declaration  to  the  Pharisees,  the  most  pious  and 
zealous  sect  of  the  Jews,  that  sets  forth  this  fact  of 
the  allowance  made  for  the  shortcomings  of  men  be- 
fore the  gospel  age  in  a  strong  light :  "  If  I  had  not 
come  and  spoken  to  you  as  no  other  man  has  spoken, 
ye  would  be  without  sin ;  but  now  ye  have  no  cloak 
for  your  sin."  If  we  are  to  understand  Christ  lit- 
erally, these  Pharisees  were  in  a  state  of  justification 
before  they  heard  Him  speak,  but  afterwards,  having 
rejected  the  light  sent  to  them,  they  were  without 
excuse.  They  had  not  changed,  nor  had  their  manner 
of  life  changed,  but  their  relation  to  God's  law  had 
changed  entirely.  The  law's  demands  were  no  greater 
than  before,  but  they  had  become  accountable  for  their 
conduct  in  a  sense  that  was  not  true  of  them  pre- 
viously. While  they  were  ignorant  and  helpless,  right- 
eousness, which  they  were  destitute  of,  was  imputed 
to  them ;  so  that  they  were  regarded  as  being  as  in- 
nocent of  offence  as  if  they  had  kept  the  whole  law 
of  God  in  every  jot  and  tittle.  But  the  moment 
light  and  help  came,  they  became  personally  respon- 
sible for  their  conduct,  and  Christ's  righteousness 
could  no  longer  be  a  cloak  for  their  sins,  since  it 
does  not  cover  sin  knowingly  and  freely  committed ; 
and  they  were  left  exposed  to  condemnation  and 
wrath.  The  responsibility  of  men  without  gospel 
light  is  small  and  usually  is  greatly  exaggerated  in 
the  common  conception  of  it.  Only  as  men  freely  and 
knowingly  choose  to  disobey  are  they  accountable, 
and  then  much  allowance  may  be  made,  because  of 
the  hardness  of  their  hearts.  But  when  heaven-bought 
and  heaven-sent  light  comes,  a  great  revolution  is 
brought  about.  Jesus  says,  "  This  is  the  condemnation, 


278      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.  . 

that  light  is  come  into  the  world  and  men  love  dark- 
ness rather  than  light."  Men  are  not  condemned 
because  their  natures  are  evil,  nor  because  their  lives 
are  consequently  evil,  since  a  bad  tree  cannot  bear 
good  fruit.  Condemnation  begins  when  light  comes 
from  God,  accompanied  with  offer  of  help,  which 
light  and  help  are  refused.  Up  to  this  time  they  are 
counted  guiltless  because  of  imputation  of  righteous- 
ness. God  does  not  expect,  nor  require  of  us,  great 
remorse  for  those  past  transgressions  of  ours,  which 
were  unavoidable  to  a  large  extent  at  least.  How 
can  we  greatly  reproach  ourselves  for  what  we  could 
not  help ;  but  past  rejection  of  light  and  divine  assist- 
ance is  a  proper  cause  for  remorse.  It  is  not,  so  much, 
hatred  of  our  past  sins  that  is  necessary,  but  hatred 
of  sin  in  the  abstract.  Godly  sorrow  for  sin  produces 
in  us  a  proper  attitude  toward  sin ;  it  makes  us  feel 
toward  sin  as  God  feels  toward  it.  God  hates  sin ; 
so  must  we.  Not  our  sins  or  your  sins,  but  all  sin. 
Real  sin  is  not  in  our  lives  but  in  our  hearts,  as 
Jesus  declares.  All  sin  proceeds  from  within  out  of 
the  heart.  As  I  have  remarked  more  than  once,  there 
is  no  sin  in  God's  universe  except  in  the  hearts  of 
wicked  men  and  devils.  They  have  a  monopoly  of  it. 
The  apostle  Paul  represents  the  repentant  sinner,  not 
as  bewailing  his  own  past  transgressions,  but  his 
slavery  to  sin,  inward  sin,  the  sin  of  his  nature.  This 
tyrant  and  his  service,  we  must  hate,  though  natu- 
rally we  love  it.  Many  men  imagine  they  are  seeking 
after  light  and  truth.  This  is  a  mistake.  Men  natu- 
rally hate  the  light,  as  Jesus  declares.  Light  and  truth, 
when  they  come  to  us,  produce  a  shock.  It  is  not 
what  we  had  expected ;  and  only  as  we  receive  then? 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      279 

do  we  long  for  more.  Is  it  possible  for  mankind 
to  desire  light  and  truth  who  rejected  Him,  who  is 
Himself  the  Truth  and  the  Light  of  the  world?  Men 
are  not  reprobated  by  the  Lord  for  what  they  were 
nor  for  what  they  did  in  a  state  of  darkness  and 
unbelief.  His  merits  cover  these  offences.  They 
forfeit  His  favor  when  they  turn  their  backs  upon 
the  light. 

The  spiritual  status  of  believers  before  the  gospel 
age  is  a  subject  of  great  interest  and  was  to  me 
from  my  youth  a  matter  of  curiosity  and  enquiry; 
but  I  could  find  no  clear  and  definite  teaching  upon 
the  subject,  and  I  think  it  a  point  of  doctrine  not 
clearly  understood.  Many  false  opinions  are  held 
upon  this  subject.  It  is  not  relevant  to  the  subject 
under  consideration  to  speak  at  length  upon  this  point, 
however.  It  is  clear  from  the  teachings  of  scripture 
that  Old  Testament  believers  were  in  a  state  of  justi- 
fication. It  is  equally  clear  from  the  same  testimony 
that  they  were  unholy  in  heart  and  life.  Purity  of 
heart  is  an  experience  peculiar  to  the  gospel  age. 
Evangelical  repentance  and  the  new  birth  were  un- 
known to  former  ages  as  experiences.  They  are  af- 
fected through  the  gift  of,  and  by  the  agency  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  who  was  not  given  until  Jesus  was  glori- 
fied. The  prophets  foretold  these  glorious  experi- 
ences and  earnestly  desired  to  know  about  them,  but 
were  informed  that  these  blessings  were  not  for  them 
at  that  time,  but  for  us  who  live  in  the  gospel  age. 
You  ask,  "  What  things  are  they  that  were  not  for 
them  ?  "  I  answer  in  the  language  of  Peter,  "  The 
things  which  are  now  reported  unto  you  by  them  that 
have  preached  the  gospel  unto  you  with  the  Holy 


280      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

Ghost  sent  down  from  heaven."  Is  it  not  astonishing 
that  Christian  ministers  should  teach,  in  the  face  of 
this  express  declaration,  that  Old  Covenant  believers 
enjoyed  the  same  experiences  that  God's  people  enjoy 
under  the  gospel  ?  Where  is  the  excess  of  glory  of  the 
new  over  the  old  if  such  teachings  are  true?  It  fades 
into  a  faint  twilight.  But  some  one  may  enquire, 
"  Did  not  men  have  the  Holy  Spirit  before  Christ's 
advent?  "  Certainly;  the  Holy  Spirit  has  always  been 
in  the  world.  "  Holy  men  of  old  spake  as  they  were 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  It  is  one  thing  to  have 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  influence  the  mind  and  direct  and 
control  the  thoughts,  and  quite  another  thing  to  have 
Him  refine  and  purify  our  natures  and  make  us  new 
creatures.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  never  given  until 
pentecost ;  and  then  for  the  first  time  did  men  ex- 
perience His  cleansing,  purifying  power.  When  Jesus 
spoke  of  the  living  waters  which  should  flow  from 
them  that  drank  of  Him,  John  declares  He  spoke  of 
the  Spirit  which  believers  should  receive,  "  For  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  not  given  forasmuch  as  Jesus  was 
not  yet  glorified."  If  any  believers  ever  had  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  this  gospel  sense,  why  did  not  the  disciples 
have  it?  If  anyone  had  ever  been  converted  in  the 
evangelical  sense,  why  were  not  the  disciples  con- 
verted? Jesus  tells  them  they  must  be  converted  and 
become  as  little  children  to  enter  the  kingdom.  He 
said,  likewise,  to  Peter,  "  And  when  thou  art  con- 
verted, strengthen  thy  brethren."  Jesus  declared, 
concerning  John  the  Baptist,  "  Of  men  that  are  born 
of  women  there  hath  not  arisen  a  greater  than  John; 
nevertheless,  he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven, 
is  greater  than  he."  John  gives  the  reason  why.  Said 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      281 

he,  "  I  have  need  to  be  baptized  of  Thee."  He  lacked 
that  gift  of  baptism,  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  is  the 
experience  of  everyone  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  the 
church  of  Christ.  St.  Paul  declares  of  the  Old 
Covenant  believers.  "  These  all  having  obtained  a 
good  report  through  faith  received  not  the  promise; 
God  having  provided  some  better  thing  for  us,  that 
they  without  us  should  not  be  made  perfect."  These 
scriptures  which  I  have  quoted  are  conclusive  upon 
this  point.  Pre-advent  believers  did  not  enjoy  the 
experiences  now  enjoyed  by  God's  people.  Being 
married  to  the  law,  they  brought  forth  fruit  unto 
death,  as  St.  Paul  shows,  and  not  until  the  law  becomes 
dead  unto  them  by  the  body  of  Christ  that  they  may 
be  married  to  another  husband,  will  they  be  able  to 
bring  forth  fruit  unto  God.  The  Old  Testament  be- 
lievers then  being  destitute  of  inward  holiness,  and 
without  such  lives  as  would  meet  the  requirements  of 
God's  holy  law,  could  be  justified  only  by  imputation 
of  inward  and  outward  righteousness.  The  faith 
which  they  had  was  imputed  to  them  as  righteous- 
ness; or  in  other  words,  was  accepted  in  the  place  of 
righteousness,  and  they  stood  in  the  same  relation  to 
God's  law  as  if  they  had  been  inwardly  and  outwardly 
holy.  This  is  what  we  mean  by  imputed  righteousness. 
This  could  be  done  only  through  Christ's  vicarious 
atonement.  Their  lack  was  covered  by  His  abounding 
grace.  Thus,  though  unholy,  they  were  accounted 
holy,  and  though  destitute  of  outward  righteousness 
they  were  accounted  righteous. 

The  same  thing  occurs  in  the  case  of  the  penitent 
sinner.  He  comes  to  God  destitute  of  all  righteous- 
ness. His  past  life  has  been  an  uninterrupted  course 


282      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

of  transgression,  either  voluntary  or  involuntary.  In 
either  case,  God's  holy  law  condemns  him.  He  seeks 
forgiveness  for  the  past.  He  cannot  undo  what  he 
has  done.  A  perfect  and  faultless  life  in  the  future 
could  make  no  amends  for  the  offences  of  the  past, 
even  if  he  could  live  such  a  life,  which  he  cannot. 
The  demands  of  violated  law  must  be  satisfied.  It 
may  be  asked,  "  Cannot  God  just  forgive  and  forget 
the  past,  since  the  sinner  is  now  penitent?  "  I  answer, 
no,  He  cannot.  Strictly  speaking  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  forgiveness  of  sin.  So  far  as  the  sinner  is 
concerned,  there  is  forgiveness,  but  not  in  an  absolute 
sense.  The  sinner  is  forgiven  but  not  the  sin.  Strictly 
speaking,  can  that  sin  be  said  to  be  forgiven,  for 
which  the  penalty  has  been  exacted?  And  the  penalty 
is  always,  invariably  exacted.  If  the  sinner  does  not 
pay  it,  some  other  person  must  pay  it  for  him.  It 
must  be  exacted,  else  in  the  first  place,  God's  word 
would  be  found  untrue.  He  threatens  a  penalty  for 
sin.  If  the  penalty  is  not  inflicted  His  veracity  is  im- 
pugned. Not  to  inflict  the  penalty  in  the  second 
place  would  encourage  the  transgressor.  In  the  third 
place,  not  to  punish  sin  would  weaken  the  authority 
of  God's  law.  In  the  fourth  place,  it  would  be  an 
injustice,  since  it  would  treat  alike  the  obedient  and 
the  disobedient,  and  so  tend  to  obliterate  the  dis- 
tinction between  right  and  wrong.  The  past  sins  of 
the  penitent  sinner  cannot  be  wiped  out  by  divine 
fiat,  they  must  be  atoned  for.  The  sinner  himself 
is  powerless  in  the  matter.  In  order,  then,  that  God 
may  pardon  the  sinner,  the  violated  law  must  be 
satisfied.  Here  Christ  appears  as  our  substitute.  He 
suffers  in  our  stead  the  punishment  due  us,  and  obeys 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      283 

in  our  place,  the  law  by  us  transgressed.  So  what 
He  has  done  and  suffered  is  imputed  to  us  as  though 
we,  instead  of  our  Substitute,  had  paid  the  penalty. 
This  is  another  example  of  imputation  of  righteous- 
ness, so  that  the  Lord  is  truly  our  righteousness  or 
justification.  Thus,  by  His  suffering  and  obedience, 
our  past  sins  are  covered  and  the  blessing  St.  Paul 
speaks  of  comes  upon  us ;  "  Blessed  is  the  man  whose 
iniquities  are  forgiven  and  whose  sins  are  covered; 
blessed  is  the  man  to  whom  the  Lord  will  not  impute 
sin."  (Rom.  4:7-8.)  Sin  must  be  covered  before  it 
can  be  passed  by  and  forgotten  forever.  And  it  is 
forgotten,  and  remembered  against  the  sinner  no  more, 
only  so  long  as  it  is  covered.  While  the  whilom  sinner 
trusts  in  Christ  for  salvation  his  sins  are  covered  by 
Christ's  imputed  righteousness ;  but  this  is  true  only 
so  long  as  faith  continues.  The  sinner  is  not  pardoned 
absolutely,  but  conditionally.  His  past  transgressions 
have  not  ceased  to  exist  as  facts,  for  if  they  were 
not  in  existence,  how  could  they  be  covered?  They 
still  exist,  but  are  not  imputed  to  the  sinner  because 
Christ's  righteousness  is  imputed  to  the  sinner  and 
covers  his  past  sins,  which  are  imputed  to  Christ, 
his  Substitute.  But  this  state  of  affairs  continues 
only  so  long  as  Christ's  righteousness  is  made  avail- 
able to  the  sinner  by  faith  in  Christ.  .  But  if  faith 
is  no  longer  exercised,  Christ's  righteousness  no  longer 
avails  him  and  his  sins  are  no  longer  covered  by  im- 
puted righteousness.  They  then  remain  against  him 
in  full  force.  The  sum  of  the  matter  is  this :  Our 
past  transgressions,  while  in  a  state  of  unbelief,  which 
were  involuntary  and  unavoidable,  were  never  im- 
puted to  us  ("  sin  is  not  imputed  where  ther^  is  no 


284      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

law"),  but  were  unconditionally  imputed  to  Christ. 
Only  those  sins  were  imputed  to  us  which  were  wil- 
fully committed  against  light  and  knowledge.  Of  such 
sins  we  must  repent,  though  repentance  is  for  sin 
rather  than  for  sins,  and  such  sins  are  pardoned 
through  faith  in  Christ,  but  upon  condition,  not  ab- 
solutely. While  we  believe  in  Christ,  our  past  sins 
are  expiated  by  His  death,  but  if  faith  fails,  they  are 
no  longer  covered  by  His  obedience,  and  responsibility 
for  them  falls  back  on  us.  Those  sins  which  were 
pardoned  and  covered  unconditionally,  always  remain 
covered.  They  are  taken  away  forever.  Those  sins 
which  are  pardoned  and  covered  conditionally  through 
faith  in  Christ,  remain  covered  only  so  long  as  the 
condition  is  complied  with.  When  Christ  ceases  to 
bear  them  because  of  our  unbelief,  they  are  imputed 
to  us.  This  answers  the  question  I  have  heard  asked : 
"  If  sin  is  once  pardoned,  will  it  ever,  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, be  imputed  to  us  again  ?  "  It  may  be. 
Since  it  is  covered  conditionally,  it  will  remain  cov- 
ered only  so  long  as  the  conditions  are  complied  with. 
In  this  sense,  then,  is  Christ's  righteousness  imputed 
to  the  justification  of  the  penitent  sinner. 

Under  the  dispensations  preceding  the  Christian, 
righteousness  was  imputed  to  the  sinner  as  I  have 
shown  both  for  inward  and  outward  righteousness, 
since  he  possessed  neither.  That  is,  both  justification 
and  sanctification  in  his  case  was  the  result  of  im- 
puted righteousness.  But  this  is  not  the  case  under 
the  gospel.  Now  provision  is  made  for  the  actual 
sanctification  of  those  who  believe  in  Christ.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  now  given  as  our  Sanctifier,  and  Chris- 
tians are  made  new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus ;  their 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      285 

hearts  are  purified  by  faith;  the  blood  of  Christ 
cleanseth  them  from  all  sin;  the  righteousness  of  the 
law  is  fulfilled  in  them ;  they  are  made  partakers  of 
the  divine  nature;  the  old  man  is  crucified  in  them 
and  the  body  of  sin  is  destroyed ;  being  made  free 
from  sin,  they  become  the  servants  of  God;  sin  has 
no  more  dominion  over  them  because  they  are  no 
longer  under  the  law,  but  under  grace;  they  have 
the  mind  of  Christ.  Since,  then,  they  are  actually 
made  holy  and  right  in  their  natures,  they  no  longer 
need  inward  righteousness  or  holiness  imputed  to 
them.  The  real  Christian  has  one  perfection:  viz., 
perfection  of  moral  nature.  This  makes  his  affec- 
tions right,  his  intentions  pure,  his  motives  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  demands  of  God's  laws.  He  loves 
God  with  all  his  heart,  and  his  neighbor  as  himself, 
and  so  will  not  intentionally  disobey  the  one  or  in- 
jure the  other.  Being  a  good  tree,  he  brings  forth 
good  fruit,  fruit  unto  holiness.  Can  he  not  then 
stand  alone  ?  Will  he  have  any  future  need  of  grace  ? 
Will  he,  for  the  future  need  any  allowance  to  be  made 
for  him?  If  he  be  blameless  and  harmless,  the  Son 
of  God  without  rebuke,  as  he  is  exhorted  to  be,  what 
more  can  be  asked  or  expected  of  him  ?  Some  persons 
imagine  that  nothing  more  can  be  demanded  and  that 
therefore  the  life  of  a  true  Christian  will  be  faultless 
and  infallible.  But  this  is  a  mistaken  notion  and 
contrary  to  all  experience  as  well  as  to  the  teachings 
of  holy  scripture.  If  this  were  really  the  case,  why 
should  Christians  be  exhorted  to  confess  their  faults, 
one  to  another?  The  presumption  seems  to  be  that 
they  will  all  have  faults.  God's  holy  law,  made  for 
and  adapted  to  holy  beings,  requires  both  a  perfect 


286      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

heart  and  a  perfect  life.  The  one,  salvation  provides, 
but  the  other  cannot  be  produced  in  this  life,  since 
it  requires,  in  order  to  effect  it,  both  moral  and  phys- 
ical perfection.  The  latter  will  not  be  enjoyed  by  us 
until  after  the  redemption  of  our  bodies.  While  our. 
bodies  are  imperfect,  our  mental  processes  will  be 
imperfect.  Our  knowledge  is  imperfect,  our  judg- 
ments are  imperfect  and  every  so-called  mental  faculty 
is  imperfect,  and  every  mental  process  is  unreliable. 
This  makes  perfect  conduct  impossible;  and  if  we 
were  left,  after  our  conversion,  amenable  to  this  law 
which  exacts  perfect  conduct,  none  of  us  could  measure 
up  to  that  standard.  "  Lord  if  Thou  wert  strict  to 
mark  iniquity,  who  could  stand  ?  "  But  in  order  that 
the  child  of  God  might  be  justified,  He  is.  made  free 
from  the  demands  of  this  law,  and  through  the  grace 
of  God  is  placed  under  another  law  called  "  the  law 
of  Christ."  This  other  law  is  the  law  of  love,  in  which 
hot  the  act,  but  the  motive  of  that  act  is  alone  con- 
sidered. So  to  the  child  of  God  "  love  is  the  fulfilling 
of  the  law,"  though  he  may  not  be  able,  through 
ignorance  or  other  infirmities,  always  to  do  what  God 
would  have  him  do,  nor  to  benefit  his  neighbor,  though 
that  is  his  intention. 

The  supposition  that  the  Christian  needs  the  grace 
of  God  only  because  of  his  disobedience,  that  is,  of 
sin  against  light  and  knowledge,  or  principally  for 
that  reason,  is  not  warranted  by  the  teachings  of 
scripture.  It  is  generally  assumed  that  Christians 
will  sin  and  that  therefore  they  will  need  the  grace 
of  God.  If  by  sin  is  meant  any  violation  of  the 
holy  and  perfect  law,  it  must  be  admitted  that  they 
will  sin.  But  those  who  thus  teach  are  not  careful 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      287 

to  discriminate  between  voluntary  and  involuntary 
transgressions  of  that  law,  and  thus  they  encourage 
men  to  sin  knowingly  and  to  expect  mercy  for  such 
sin.  Involuntary  transgression  of  God's  law  is  im- 
puted to  no  one  until  he  has  voluntarily  assumed  the 
responsibility  of  it  by  rejecting  God's  help.  But 
involuntary  sin  calls  for  no  repentance.  I  cannot 
blame  myself  for  what  I  could  not  avoid;  and  only 
so  far  as  I  see  and  feel  myself  at  fault,  can  I  be 
sorry  for  that  transgression.  Christians  may  be 
sorry  in  a  measure  for  unintentional  transgressions 
because  they  see  they  did  not  exercise  due  care  and 
watchfulness,  but  what  is  unavoidable,  can  produce 
no  remorse.  To  declare  that  no  man  can  live  clear 
of  sin  is  a  very  ambiguous  statement,  and  is  purposely 
left  ambiguous  by  those  who  plead  for  sin;  and  the 
fact  that  men  profess  repentance  and  sorrow  for  sin 
is  prima  facie  evidence  that  their  sins  were  voluntary 
and  not  unavoidable.  For  a  man  to  declare  that  he 
sins  because  he  cannot  help  it,  and  at  the  same  time 
profess  sorrow  for  such  sins  and  reproach  himself 
for  them,  is  a  plain  contradiction,  and  proof  of  hy- 
pocrisy. We  are  not  asked  to  repent  of  sins  we  cannot 
avoid;  Christ's  righteousness  unconditionally  covers 
such  sins.  It  is  the  sins  that  have  the  concurrence  of 
our  wills  that  condemn  us  and  that  call  for  repentance, 
and  Christians  do  not  commit  such  sins.  For  a  child 
of  God  to  thus  freely  choose  to  sin  against  God  would 
be  to  seal  his  eternal  doom.  "  If  we  sin  wilfully 
after  that  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sin,  but 
a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment."  This  is 
the  sin  unto  death,  which  we  are  not  required  to  pray 


288      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

for.  There  is  a  sin  not  unto  death  that  does  not 
bring  condemnation,  and  consequent  separation  from 
God,  yet  when  it  is  recognized  by  us,  it  should  be 
repudiated  and  so  far  as  we  feel  ourselves  respon- 
sible because  of  want  of  care  or  watchfulness,  we 
should  seek  forgiveness;  but  most  of  such  lapses  or 
shortcomings  are  never  realized  by  us,  and  cannot 
therefore  be  confessed.  To  those  who  do  not  see 
the  matter  in  its  true  character,  there  seems  to  be 
a  discrepancy  between  the  various  declarations  of 
scripture.  "  There  is,  therefore,  no  condemnation  to 
them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus."  (Rom.  8:1.)  "Who 
shall  lay  anything  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect?" 
(Rom.  8:33.)  "He  that  abideth  in  Him  sinneth 
not."  (1  John  3:6.)  And  then  on  the  other  hand 
we  find  these  scriptures :  "  I  have  written  unto  you 
little  children,  that  ye  sin  not ;  but  if  any  man  sin, 
we  have  an  Advocate  with  the  Father."  (1  John  2  :1.) 
"  Confess  your  faults,  one  to  another,  and  pray  for 
one  another  that  ye  may  be  healed."  "  And  if  he 
have  committed  sins,  they  shall  be  forgiven  him." 
"  If  a  man  sees  his  brother  sin  a  sin  that  is  not  unto 
death  he  shall  ask  and  he  shall  give  him  life  for  a 
sin  that  is  not  unto  death."  To  those  who  are  not 
enlightened,  these  and  many  other  scriptures  seem  a 
jumble  of  inconsistencies  and  contradictions.  It  does 
not  seem  possible  to  harmonize  such  statements.  But 
there  is  no  real  discrepancy  in  these  teachings.  It  is 
not  necessary  to  imitate  the  example  of  Martin  Luther, 
who  rejected  the  epistle  of  James,  because  he  imagined 
that  he  contradicted  Paul  in  his  teachings  on  the  subject 
of  faith.  The  fault  was  not  in  James'  epistle,  but 
in  Luther's  understanding.  Thus  many  people  think 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      289 

that  as  they  cannot  harmonize  these  teachings,  they 
must  choose  between  them,  and  almost  invariably 
they  reject  those  passages  teaching  the  believers 
freedom  from  sin,  because  they  are  not  in  harmony 
with  their  experience.  In  attempting  to  harmonize 
these  apparent  contradictions  in  the  scriptures,  it  is 
necessary  first  to  understand  that  the  term  "  sin " 
does  not  have  an  invariable  meaning  when  used  by 
the  New  Testament  writers.  St.  Paul  tells  us  "  sin  is 
the  transgression  of  the  law."  Strictly  speaking,  all 
the  infractions  of  the  holy,  perfect  law  of  God  are 
sins ;  and  in  this  sense  of  the  term,  all  are  sinners, 
since  no  man  in  this  life  can  keep  that  law  perfectly. 
But  Christians  are  not  under  that  law,  but  through 
grace  are  under  the  law  of  Christ,  which  is  the  law 
of  love.  This  law  does  not  take  cognizance  of  the 
act,  but  of  the  motive  and  the  intention  of  the  act. 
Saints  can  have  pure  intentions,  though  they  cannot 
live  perfect  lives.  When  the  New  Testament  writers 
use  the  word  sin  they  use  it  in  one  or  the  other  of 
these  senses,  but  they  do  not  differentiate  these  mean- 
ings but  leave  that  task  to  the  reader.  When  they 
declare  saints  to  be  free  from  sin,  sin  both  inward 
and  outward,  that  they  do  not  commit  sin,  they  refer 
to  infractions  of  the  law  of  love  to  which  they  are 
subject.  Judged  by  this  standard,  they  are  clear  of 
offence.  When  they  speak  of  them  as  sinning,  they 
refer  to  unintentional  infraction  of  the  law  of  God. 
Judged  by  one  standard,  they  are  "blameless  and 
harmless,  the  sons  of  God  without  rebuke."  Judged 
by  the  other  standard,  they  are  found  wanting.  It 
is  true  that  all  deviations  from  this  holy  law  are  punish- 
able and  must  be  atoned  for.  I  have  shown  how  these 


290      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

are  not  imputed  when  light  and  power  to  obey  are 
wanting,  and  how  when  light  and  help  are  rejected, 
the  sinner  becomes  responsible  for  every  infraction 
of  the  law  of  perfect  obedience.  But  the  Christian 
believer  is  not  under  this  law,  but  under  the  law  of 
love,  and  is  held  responsible  for  the  violation  of  that 
law  alone.  But  in  order  that  he  may  be  held  guiltless, 
Christ's  obedience  of  the  perfect  law  is  imputed  to 
him,  since  his  disobedience  was  imputed  to  Christ. 
So  that  this  law,  so  far  as  the  believer  is  concerned, 
passed  away,  having  all  been  fulfilled.  As  Jesus 
foretold,  "  until  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away, 
one  jot  nor  one  tittle  shall  in  no  wise  pass  from  the 
law  until  all  be  fulfilled."  Here,  then,  the  true  Chris- 
tian, perfect  in  heart,  but  imperfect  otherwise,  and 
still  compassed  with  infirmities,  needs  the  imputation 
of  Christ's  righteousness.  Christ's  obedience  atones 
for  our  want  of  it,  and  thus  we  are  saved  by  His 
life  as  well  as  by  His  death,  as  the  apostle  Paul  de- 
clares :  "  For  if  when  we  were  enemies,  we  were 
reconciled  to  God  by  the  death  of  His  Son,  much 
more  being  reconciled,  we  shall  be  saved  by  His  life." 
True  believers,  then,  need  the  grace  of  God,  not  be- 
cause of  voluntary  transgression  or  willful  sin,  but 
because  of  those  technical  violations  of  the  perfect  law 
of  God  which  are  incident  to  their  imperfect  state  in 
this  life.  So  we  need  an  High  Priest  who  can  be 
touched  with  feeling  for  our  infirmities,  and  who  can 
have  compassion  on  the  ignorant,  even  those  who 
are  out  of  the  way.  I  assert  that  real  Christians 
do  not  intentionally  and  willfully  sin  against  God ; 
they  cannot  do  it.  "  He  cannot  sin,  because  he  is 
born  of  God."  "  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      291 

fruit."  Jesus  declares,  "  If  any  man  love  me,  he  will 
keep  My  word."  He  does  not  say  he  ought  to  keep 
it,'  but  he  ivill  keep  it.  It  is  in  his  will  to  keep  it, 
and  cannot  be  in  his  will  to  do  otherwise.  The  idea 
that  a  man  can  love  God  and  at  the  same  time  defy 
Him  by  refusing  to  obey  Him,  is  absurd.  Jesus  says 
again.  "  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  commandments."  And 
the  apostle  John  declares,  "  This  is  the  love  of  God, 
that  we  keep  His  commandments,  and  His  command- 
ments are  not  grievous."  Nothing  is  the  love  of  God 
that  comes  short  of  obedience.  But  do  not  understand 
from  this  that  the  true  believer  cannot  fall  away. 
Though  he  cannot  voluntarily  disobey  God  while  he 
loves  Him,  he  may  cease  to  love  Him,  and  then, 
like  a  shorn  Samson,  he  becomes  weak  like  other 
men.  The  Christian  stands  by  faith  and  faith  may 
fail.  Jesus  prayed  for  Peter  that  his  faith  might  not 
fail.  Why  should  He  do  this  if  faith  could  not  fail? 
The  possibility  of  falling  is  clearly  taught  in  the 
scriptures.  It  is  only  those  who  are  down  that  need 
fear  no  fall;  those  who  most  assuredly  stand  should 
take  heed,  and  watch  against  falling.  Believers  do 
not  fall  by  outward  transgression,  but  by  unbelief, 
as  they  stand  by  faith.  Faith  brings  unity  with  God; 
the  lack  of  faith  separates  us  from  God.  Since  the 
work  of  God  in  the  heart  of  the  believer  has  made 
it  possible  and  natural  for  him  to  obey  God  because 
he  loves  Him,  there  can  be  no  allowance  made  for 
voluntary  transgression;  the  righteousness  of  Christ's 
obedience  does  not  cover  such  sin,  else  Christ  would 
have  become  the  minister  of  sin  and  encourager  of 
it  also.  The  apostle  Paul  denies  that  Christ  is  the 
minister  of  sin.  It  is  sometimes  charged  by  the 


292      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

enemies  of  the  gospel  that  the  doctrine  of  pardon 
of  sin  encourages  transgression.  If  after  men  have 
been  redeemed  from  slavery  to  sin  and  have  been 
made  capable  of  obedience,  their  voluntary  trans- 
gression were  excused,  this  objection  would  lie  against 
the  doctrine  of  pardon.  But  though  this  is  the  ordinary 
teaching  of  professed  gospel  ministers  and  theologians, 
it  is  a  libel  on  Christ  and  His  gospel.  Christ  did 
not  die  to  excuse  sin  nor  to  encourage  men  to  con- 
tinue in  sin  that  grace  might  abound,  but  to  make 
an  end  of  sin,  and  to  bring  in  its  place  everlasting 
righteousness.  Unmeasurable  harm  has  been  done  by 
such  unscriptural  and  unreasonable  teaching.  How 
astonishingly  little  have  men  understood  of  the  gospel 
which  they  have  professed  to  teach.  The  blind,  full 
of  confidence  in  their  ability  to  lead  have  led  the 
blind,  full  of  confidence  in  their  blind  leaders,  and 
both  have  gone  together  into  the  ditch  of  destruction. 
The  awful  consequences  of  such  false  teaching  are 
beyond  the  power  of  language  to  express.  Calvinists 
have  justly  objected  to  the  teachings  of  Arminians 
on  the  subject  of  back-sliding  or  falling  from  grace. 
The  common  Arminian  teaching  on  this  subject  has 
been  as  great  an  encourager  of  sin  as  Antinomianism 
has  been.  They  both  encourage  men  to  look  upon  sin 
as  a  trivial  or  light  affair.  The  gravity  and  seriousness 
of  sin  against  God  is  not  realized.  It  is  supposed 
that  men  can  fall  away  after  conversion,  live  in  open 
and  flagrant  iniquity  for  a  while,  then  repent  and  be 
restored  to  the  favor  of  God  to  repeat  the  former 
experience  again  and  again.  No  such  teaching  is 
found  in  the  gospel.  The  New  Covenant  holds  out 
no  hope  to  the  apostate.  It  is  true  that  God  was  once 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      293 

married  to  a  backsliding  church,  fitly  represented  by  an 
unfaithful  spouse;  but  this  is  not  the  case  now. 
Christ's  New  Covenant  bride  is  a  chaste  virgin,  not 
a  reformed  harlot;  and  there  is  no  unfaithfulness  in 
her.  Those  who  draw  back,  draw  back  to  perdition. 
Those  who  fall  away  find  no  place  of  repentance,  as 
the  apostle  plainly  declares.  The  one  sacrifice  avails 
for  but  one  cleansing.  If  once  renounced,  by  willful 
sin,  a  sin  that  separates  from  God  and  brings  con- 
demnation, "  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for 
sin."  St.  Paul  declares  of  such  that  it  is  impossible 
to  renew  them  unto  repentance.  We  are  told  in  the 
epistle  to  the  Hebrews  that  the  reason  the  sacrifices 
of  the  Jews  in  the  Old  Covenant  were  repeated  was 
because  they,  for  whom  these  sacrifices  were  offered, 
continued  to  sin.  One  sacrifice  could  remove  sin  but 
once.  Repeated  sin  required  repeated  sacrifices.  If 
these  sacrifices  could  really  have  taken  away  sin  and 
given  the  worshipper  a  clear  or  perfect  conscience,  then 
they  would  have  ceased  to  be  offered  because  "  the 
worshipper,  once  purged,  would  have  had  no  more 
conscience  of  sin."  This  is  the  case  with  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ;  it  purges  the  conscience  from  sin  or  dead 
works  and  leaves  the  conscience  clear.  If  by  willful 
sin  this  sacrifice  is  repudiated,  no  other  one  remains. 
"  By  one  offering  He  hath  perfected  forever  them  that 
are  sanctified."  To  fall  from  this  high  estate,  is  to 
fall  like  Lucifer,  never  to  rise  again.  But  someone 
may  object,  "  This  is  contrary  to  experience.  I  have 
seen  such  persons  converted  over  and  over."  Yes, 
no  doubt.  Such  conversions  need  to  be  repeated  often 
because  they  are  of  no  value ;  they  are  delusions. 
Human  experience  is  an  uncertain  thing  to  pit  against 


294      LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS. 

the  word  of  God.  Let  God  be  true,  though  it  make 
every  man  a  liar.  What  He  says.  I  accept  as  true, 
and  it  accords  with  my  reason  and  sound  philosophy. 
There  is  no  provision  made  for  willful  sin  in  those 
who  have  tasted  of  the  good  word  of  God  and  the 
power  of  the  world  to  come.  Christ's  righteousness 
does  not  cover  such  offences.  But  those  transgressions 
which  are  the  result  of  human  weakness  and  frailty, 
which  are  without  the  concurrence  of  the  will,  and  are 
not  deliberate  and  intentional  have  provision  made  for 
them  in  the  atonement.  They  are  not  imputed  to  the 
transgressor,  but  are  covered  by  the  imputed  righteous- 
ness of  Christ.  Those  lapses  which  also  are  the  result 
of  ignorance  or  deception  are  covered.  In  the  case  of 
deception  the  offender  is  not  wholly  without  responsi- 
bility, though  the  offence  is  not  deliberate  or  intended. 
It  results  from  the  lack  of  sufficient  watchfulness, 
which  gives  Satan  an  unnecessary  advantage.  When 
realized,  such  sin  must  be  repudiated  and  repented  of. 
Not  to  do  this  would  be  to  make  the  sin  willful  and 
damning.  Then  there  are  the  offences  that  are  the 
result  of  sudden  surprise  or  inattention,  which  are  im- 
mediately regretted  when  recognized.  These  also  are 
among  the  sins  that  are  "  not  unto  death,"  which  are 
covered  by  the  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness. 
When  it  is  said  of  the  believer  that  he  does  not  sin, 
and  that  he  cannot  sin  because  he  is  born  of  God, 
intentional,  deliberate,  willful  sin  is  meant,  which 
brings  condemnation  and  separates  the  soul  from  God. 
This  alone  is  sin  to  him  who  is  not  under  the  law, 
but  under  grace.  Herein  lies  the  real  distinction  be- 
tween mortal  and  venial  sins  of  which  the  Romanists 
speak.  No  offence  is  venial  which  is  intentional  and 


LATER  LIFE,  OBITUARY  AND  SERMONS.      295 

deliberate,  and  no  sin  mortal,  which  is  not  such.  To 
place  one  act  in  the  venial  list  and  one  in  the  mortal 
list  without  respect  to  intention,  is  unmitigated  non- 
sense. Because  of  these  unintentional  and  unavoidable 
infractions  of  the  perfect  law  of  God  we  are  daily 
made  great  debtors  to  grace.  Like  prevailing  Israel, 
we  go  halting  all  our  days,  but  the  grace  of  God 
abounds  above  all  these  shortcomings.  So  the  be- 
liever can  sing  with  Charles  Wesley : 

"  Contented  now  upon  my  thigh 

I   halt  till   life's   short  journey  end; 
All  helplessness  all  weakness,  I 
On  Thee  alone  for  strength  depend." 

Though  we  have  this  treasure  still  in  earthen  vessels, 
we  have  no  occasion  for  discouragement,  and  no  ex- 
cuse for  failure,  since  the  grace  of  God  is  sufficient 
to  give  us  the  victory  over  sin.  So  we  continue  to  sing : 

"  Lame  as  I  am,  I  take  the  prey, 

Hell,  earth  and  sin,  with  ease  o'ercome; 
I  shout  for  joy,  pursue  my  way, 
And  like  a  bounding  hart,  fly  home." 


i^^wSf^^iS^^eh^wi^. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


MEMOIRS  OF  SAMUEL  RUFUS  HARSHMAN  SULLIV 


